I am a person who continually destroys the possibilities of a future because of the numbers of alternative viewpoints I can focus on the present.
Doris LessingRead
Some people obtain fame, others deserve it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Fame is not always a reflection of one's worth or merit, as some people achieve it merely by chance, while others earn it through their actions and contributions.
This quote by Doris Lessing highlights the distinction between those who attain fame through luck or circumstance and those who truly deserve recognition for their efforts and character. It emphasizes that fame is not necessarily indicative of a person's value or abilities, suggesting a deeper meaning behind what it means to be respected or acknowledged in society.
Themes
FameSuccessRecognitionMeritWorth
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the merits of public figures, you might say this quote to emphasize the difference between earned and unearned fame.
More from Doris Lessing
All quotes βIn the writing process, the more the story cooks, the better. The brain works for you even when you are at rest. I find dreams particularly useful. I myself think a great deal before I go to sleep and the details sometimes unfold in the dream.
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Humanity's legacy of stories and storytelling is the most precious we have. All wisdom is in our stories and songs. A story is how we construct our experiences. At the very simplest, it can be: 'He/she was born, lived, died.' Probably that is the template of our stories - a beginning, middle, and end. This structure is in our minds.
Doris LessingRead
There is a great line of women stretching out behind you into the past, and you have to seek them out and find them in yourself and be conscious of them.
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The World War I, I'm a child of World War I. And I really know about the children of war. Because both my parents were both badly damaged by the war. My father, physically, and both mentally and emotionally. So, I know exactly what it's like to be brought up in an atmosphere of a continual harping on the war.
Doris LessingRead
You should write, first of all, to please yourself. You shouldn't care a damn about anybody else at all. But writing can't be a way of life - the important part of writing is living. You have to live in such a way that your writing emerges from it.
Doris LessingRead
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