The writer is the person who stands outside society, independent of affiliation and independent of influence.
Don DelilloRead
It occurred to me that eating is the only form of professionalism most people ever attain.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote humorously suggests that for many, the act of eating is the closest they come to achieving professionalism in life.
Don Delillo's quote reflects on the idea that many people find themselves merely going through the motions of daily life without achieving true mastery or professionalism in their pursuits. Eating, a basic and often taken-for-granted human activity, becomes a metaphor for the simplicity and mundanity of existence, emphasizing how individuals can become professionals at trivialities rather than their passions or career aspirations.
Themes
EatingProfessionalismLifeHumorMundanity
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about finding joy in everyday tasks, one might quote Delillo to illustrate how simple activities can dominate our lives.
More from Don Delillo
All quotes →War is the form nostalgia takes when men are hard-pressed to say something good about their country.
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American writers ought to stand and live in the margins, and be more dangerous.
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For me, writing is a concentrated form of thinking.
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I used to think it was possible for an artist to alter the inner life of the culture. Now bomb-makers and gunmen have taken that territory.
Don DelilloRead
[I]n the American soul there is a lonely individual standing in a vast landscape. He is either on a horse or driving a car, depending, and either way he’s carrying a gun. This is one of the essential images in American mythology.
Don DelilloRead
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