If you have the guts to be yourself, other people'll pay your price.
John UpdikeRead
Perfectionism is the enemy of creation, as extreme self- solitude is the enemy of well- being.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Perfectionism can hinder creativity and extreme isolation can negatively affect our mental health.
In this quote, John Updike highlights the detrimental effects of perfectionism on the creative process, suggesting that striving for flawlessness can stifle one's ability to create. He also points out that excessive solitude can lead to a decline in one's overall well-being, emphasizing the importance of social interaction and balance in our lives.
Themes
PerfectionismCreationSolitudeWell-BeingCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
A motivational speech about overcoming creative blocks may include this quote.
More from John Updike
All quotes βDost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of. _x000D_ _x000D_ Suspect each moment, for it is a thief, tiptoeing away with more than it brings.
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Museums and bookstores should feel, I think, like vacant lots - places where the demands on us are our own demands, where the spirit can find exercise in unsupervised play.
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But it is just two lovers, holding hands and in a hurry to reach their car, their locked hands a starfish leaping through the dark.
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The reader knows the writer better than he knows himself; but the writer's physical presence is light from a star that has moved on.
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To guarantee the individual maximum freedom within a social frame of minimal laws ensures - if not happiness - its hopeful pursuit.
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