Self pity is easily the most destructive of the non-pharmaceutical narcotics; it is addictive, gives momentary pleasure and separates the victim from reality.
John GardnerRead
...ultimately it come down to, are you making or are you destroying? If you try very hard to create ways of living, create dreams of what is possible, then you win. If you don't, you may make a fortune in ten years, but you're not going to be read in twenty years, and that's that.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of creating and contributing positively to the world rather than focusing solely on material gains.
John Gardner’s quote encapsulates a philosophy centered on the dichotomy between creation and destruction in life. It suggests that the true measure of success lies not in the accumulation of wealth or status but in one's ability to innovate, inspire, and contribute to the betterment of society. By advocating for creative endeavors and the pursuit of dreams, Gardner implies that lasting impact and recognition come from meaningful contributions rather than transient achievements.
Themes
CreationDreamsSuccessImpactInnovation
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a motivational speech about entrepreneurship.
More from John Gardner
All quotes →Fiction does not spring into the world fully grown, like Athena. It is the process of writing and rewriting that makes a fiction original, if not profound.
John GardnerRead
i understand that the world was nothing: a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our hopes and fears. i understood that, finally and absolutely, i alone exist. all the rest, i saw, is merely what pushes me, or what i push against, blindly - as blindly as all that is not myself pushes back. i create the whole universe, blink by blink.
John GardnerRead
We read five words on the first page of a really good novel and we begin to forget that we are reading printed words on a page; we begin to see images.
John GardnerRead
They watch on, evil, incredibly stupid, enjoying my destruction. 'Poor Grendel's had an accident,' I whisper. 'So may you all.
John GardnerRead
The true artist plays mad with his soul, labors at the very lip of the volcano, but remembers and clings to his purpose, which is as strong as the dream. He is not someone possessed, like Cassandra, but a passionate, easily tempted explorer who fully intends to get home again, like Odysseus.
John GardnerRead
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To fulfil the dreams of one's youth; that is the best that can happen to a man. No worldly success can take the place of that.
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An idea isn't worth that much. It's the execution of the idea that has value. If you can't convince one other person that this is something to devote your life to, then it's not worth it.
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Without your involvement you can't succeed. With your involvement you can't fail.
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One of the reasons I became a writer is that, unlike starting a band, directing movies, or acting in a theatrical production, you can do it alone. Your success and failure depend entirely on yourself.
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The speed at which a business success is recognized, furthermore, is not that important as long as the company's intrinsic value is increasing at a satisfactory rate. In fact, delayed recognition can be an advantage: It may give us the chance to buy more of a good thing at a bargain price.
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Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you're exactly the same.
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