All of these young people have some kind of potential in them. And if we don't invest in them as a nation, regardless of where they come from or what color they are, if we don't invest in them, we lose.
Michelle ObamaRead
You have to know human behaviour … And the quality of your writing is absolutely capped at your understanding of human behaviour. You’ll never write above what you know about people.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding human behavior is crucial for effective writing.
This quote emphasizes the importance of a writer's knowledge and understanding of human behavior as a fundamental aspect of crafting compelling narratives. Tony Gilroy suggests that the depth and quality of one's writing are inherently limited by the writer's grasp of the complexities of human nature, implying that great storytelling is rooted in genuine insight into people and their motivations.
Themes
WritingHuman BehaviorUnderstandingStorytellingCharacters
In practice
Example use cases
During a writing workshop, I shared this quote to highlight the connection between character development and understanding human behavior.
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