Try any goddam thing you like, no matter how boringly normal or outrageous. If it works, fine. If it doesn't, toss it. Toss it even if you love it.
Stephen KingRead
He realized now that a lot of the problem had been his own mind, which was usually moving at a speed ten or twenty times that of his classmates. They had thought him strange, weird, or even suicidal, depending on the escapade in question, but maybe it had been a simple case of mental overdrive-if anything about being in constant mental overdrive was simple. Anyway, it was the sort of thing you got under control after a while-you got it under control or you found outlets for it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the challenges of a mind that operates at a different pace than others, suggesting self-awareness and finding healthy outlets for one's thoughts.
In this quote, Stephen King conveys the experience of feeling out of sync with peers due to a heightened mental state. He suggests that the struggle stems not just from external perceptions of 'strangeness' but from the internal battle of managing a racing mind. The key takeaway is that self-awareness allows one to harness this mental energy positively, implying that individuals can learn to regulate their thoughts and emotions or channel them into productive outlets.
Themes
MindSelf-AwarenessMental HealthThoughtsControlOutlets
In practice
Example use cases
During a mindfulness workshop, a facilitator might use this quote to illustrate the importance of understanding one's mental pace.
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That's the day's business. Thinking. Thinking and isolation, because it doesn't matter if you pass the time of day with someone or not; in the end, you're alone. He seemed to have put in as many miles in his brain as he had with his feet. The thoughts kept coming and there was no way to deny them.
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Late last night and the night before, tommyknockers, tommyknockers knocking on my door. I wanna go out, don't know if I can 'cuz I'm so afraid of the tommyknocker man.
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