If you have the guts to be yourself, other people'll pay your price.
John UpdikeRead
An aging writer has the not insignificant satisfaction of a shelf of books behind him that, as they wait for their ideal readers to discover them, will outlast him for a while.
Interpretation
A writer finds fulfillment in their published works, knowing they will continue to resonate with readers even after their time.
This quote by John Updike reflects the deep satisfaction an aging writer feels from the body of work they have created. The knowledge that their books will remain, waiting to connect with ideal readers, offers a sense of immortality through literature, suggesting that art transcends the lifespan of its creator.
In practice
At a writing workshop, to inspire fellow writers about the importance of persistence.
If you have the guts to be yourself, other people'll pay your price.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To guarantee the individual maximum freedom within a social frame of minimal laws ensures - if not happiness - its hopeful pursuit.
The therapist does not treat patients by simply giving them another set of beliefs. He or she tries to help them see which kinds of ideas and beliefs have led to their suffering. Many patients want to get rid of their painful feelings, but they do not want to get rid of their beliefs, the viewpoints that are the very roots of their feelings.
And I'll know my song well before I start singing
The mind that is wise mourns less for what age takes away; than what it leaves behind.
Try to acquire the virtues you believe lacking in your brothers. Then you will no longer see their defects, for you will no longer have them yourself.
Neglect of duty does not cease, by repetition, to be neglect of duty.
Realize now the power that your words command if you simply choose them wisely.
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