If you have the guts to be yourself, other people'll pay your price.
John UpdikeRead
Let us not seek to make it less monstrous, for our own convenience, our own sense of beauty, lest, awakened in one unthinkable hour, we are embarrassed by the miracle, and crushed by remonstrance.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We should embrace the true nature of reality, even if it's uncomfortable, rather than distort it for our own convenience.
John Updike's quote encourages us to face the harsh realities of life without attempting to alter them for our own comfort or aesthetic preferences. By acknowledging the 'monstrous' aspects of existence, we are better prepared for the awe and potential pain that truth may bring, rather than being caught off guard and feeling guilt or remorse for our previous denial. It serves as a reminder that reality, in all its forms, is a miracle that should be faced head-on, without the temptation to sugarcoat it.
Themes
TruthRealityAcceptanceBeautyMonstrous
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about accepting difficult truths in team meetings.
More from John Updike
All quotes →Dost 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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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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