There's an old saying: 'No piece of writing is ever finished, it's just abandoned.' But my own rule is: No piece of work is done until you want to kill everyone involved in the publishing process, especially yourself.
Chuck PalahniukRead
I wish I had the courage not to fight and doubt everything... I wish, just once, I could say, 'This. This is good enough. Just because I choose it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a desire for the bravery to accept one's choices and the sufficiency of those choices without constant self-doubt.
In this quote, Chuck Palahniuk reflects on the internal struggle between self-acceptance and the relentless questioning of one’s decisions. He wishes for the courage to embrace his choices as worthy and sufficient, rather than constantly battling feelings of inadequacy. It highlights the importance of confidence in one’s decisions and the freedom that comes from self-acceptance, suggesting that true strength lies not in the absence of doubt, but in choosing to be content with one’s path.
Themes
CourageSelf-AcceptanceDoubtChoiceConfidence
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a motivational speech about personal growth.
More from Chuck Palahniuk
All quotes →Griping isn't the same as creating something. Rebelling isn't rebuilding. Ridiculing isn't replacing. We've taken the world apart but we have no idea what to do with the pieces.
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If we can forgive what’s been done to us... If we can forgive what we’ve done to others... If we can leave all of our stories behind. Our being villains or victims. Only then can we maybe rescue the world.
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We're all trapped. It's always 1734. All of us, we're stuck in the same time capsule, the same as those television shows where the same people are marooned on the same desert island for thirty seasons and never age or escape. They just wear more makeup. In a creepy way, those shows are maybe too authentic.
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One thing I really envy about my friends who have kids is that as their children develop, they're able to revisit their own developmental stages and recognise themselves and undo a lot of things they decided.
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If you knew that your life was merely a phase or short, short segment of your entire existence, how would you live? Knowing nothing 'real' was at risk, what would you do? You'd live a gigantic, bold, fun, dazzling life. You know you would. That's what the ghosts want us to do - all the exciting things they no longer can.
Chuck PalahniukRead
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