Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
The sneakiest form of literary subtlety, in a corrupt society, is to speak the plain truth. The critics will not understand you; the public will not believe you; your fellow writers will shake their heads. Laughter, praise, honors, money, and the love of beautiful girls will be your only reward.
Interpretation
What this quote means
In a corrupt society, expressing truth is often met with disbelief and criticism, yet it may bring personal satisfaction.
Edward Abbey's quote emphasizes the challenge of articulating the truth in a society accustomed to deceit and corruption. He suggests that those who dare to speak the plain truth may find themselves misunderstood and unappreciated by critics and peers, yet can still derive their rewards from the joy of honest expression and the simpler pleasures of life, such as laughter, love, and recognition from those who truly matter.
Themes
TruthCorruptionSocietyLiteraryHonestyCriticism
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used at a writers' workshop to emphasize the importance of authenticity in writing.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes →I love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
Edward AbbeyRead
If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
Edward AbbeyRead
The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
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I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
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Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Edward AbbeyRead
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