Every island to a child is a treasure island.
P. D. JamesRead
Open your mind to new experiences, particularly to the study of other people. Nothing that happens to a writer – however happy, however tragic – is ever wasted.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Embrace diverse experiences and learn from them, as all events contribute to a writer's growth.
P. D. James emphasizes the importance of openness to new experiences and perspectives, especially in the context of writing. She suggests that every experience, whether joyous or sorrowful, contributes to a writer's understanding and creativity, implying that nothing is ever truly wasted if one is willing to learn from it.
Themes
ExperiencesWritingGrowthLearningPerspectives
In practice
Example use cases
During a writing workshop, I shared a quote by P. D. James to encourage participants to find value in all experiences.
More from P. D. James
All quotes →If from infancy you treat children as gods, they are liable in adulthood to act as devils.
P. D. JamesRead
I believe that political correctness can be a form of linguistic fascism, and it sends shivers down the spine of my generation who went to war against fascism.
P. D. JamesRead
What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give.
P. D. JamesRead
It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.
P. D. JamesRead
The weekend break had begun with the usual resentment and had continued with half-repressed ill humour. It was, of course, his fault. He had been more ready to hurt his wife's feelings and deprive his daughter than inconvenience a pub bar full of strangers. He wished there could be one memory of his dead child which wasn't tainted with guilt and regret.
P. D. JamesRead
Similar quotes
No matter how difficult something you or a loved one faces, it should not take over your life and be the center of all your interest. Challenges are growth experiences,temporary scenes to be played out on the background of a pleasant life. Don’t become so absorbed in a single event that you can’t think of anything else or care for yourself or for those who depend upon you. Remember, much like the mending of the body, the healing of some spiritual and emotional challenges takes time.
Richard G. ScottRead
This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.
Corrie Ten BoomRead
Consequence is no coincidence.
Lauryn HillRead
The mistake that is made always runs the other way. Because the plain people are able to speak and understand, and even, in many cases, to read and write, it is assumed that they have ideas in their heads, and an appetite for more. This assumption is a folly.
H. L. MenckenRead
Any man who afflicts the human race with ideas must be prepared to see them misunderstood.
H. L. MenckenRead
True depth of understanding is wide and steady,_x000D_ _x000D_ Shallow understanding is lazy and wandering,_x000D_ _x000D_ Words of wisdom are precise and clear
ZhuangziRead