I have never thought of myself as a good writer. Anyone who wants reassurance of that should read one of my first drafts. But I'm one of the world's great rewriters.
James A. MichenerRead
For this is the journey that men and women make, to find themselves. If they fail in this, it doesn't matter much else what they find.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The pursuit of self-discovery is essential, and all other achievements are insignificant without it.
In this quote, James A. Michener emphasizes the importance of the journey of self-discovery for both men and women. He suggests that if individuals do not find themselves during their life journey, the discoveries and successes they might achieve become trivial in comparison to the absence of true self-awareness and understanding.
Themes
Self-DiscoveryJourneyIdentityWisdomPurpose
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech on self-awareness, you could mention this quote to highlight the importance of understanding oneself.
More from James A. Michener
All quotes βWhenever I start a book, I swear it's going to be a short one. But then it's, 'Who was his grandfather? And how did he get there in the first place? And what kind of animals is he chasing?'
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Rampaging horsemen can conquer; only the city can civilize.
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I think the crucial thing in the writing career is to find what you want to do and how you fit in. What somebody else does is of no concern whatever except as an interesting variation.
James A. MichenerRead
If a man happens to find himself, he has a mansion which he can inhabit with dignity all the days of his life.
James A. MichenerRead
I was brought up in the great tradition of the late nineteenth century: that a writer never complains, never explains and never disdains.
James A. MichenerRead
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