I work on the assumption, or let it be the fear, that the reader will stop reading if I stop being interesting.
Clive JamesRead
I was wrong, however, to suppose that Sellers thought the world revolved around him. He thought the cosmos did too, and history, and the fates... Like every egomaniac, he behaved as if everybody else spent their day being as interested in him as he was.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the egocentric nature of individuals who believe the world revolves around them.
In this quote, Clive James criticizes the egotism of a character named Sellers, suggesting that such individuals not only see themselves as the center of their own world but also mistakenly believe that the entire universe is centered around their importance. This perspective often leads to a lack of awareness of others, as egomaniacs are preoccupied with their own significance and assume that others share the same level of interest in their lives.
Themes
EgotismSelf-CenteredNarcissismPerceptionAwareness
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about selfish behaviors in society, this quote serves as a reminder of how egocentrism can blind individuals to the experiences of others.
More from Clive James
All quotes →Television is simultaneously blamed, often by the same people, for worsening the world and for being powerless to change it.
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Murray sounds like a blindfolded man riding a unicycle on the rim of the pit of doom, the men actually facing the danger are all so taciturn that you might as well try interviewing the cars themselves.
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Prejudices are useless. Call Los Angeles any dirty name you like - Six Suburbs in Search of a City, Paradise with a Lobotomy, anything - but the fact remains that you are already living in it before you get there
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Anyone afraid of what he thinks television does to the world is probably just afraid of the world.
Clive JamesRead
The essence of a class system is not that the privileged are conscious of their privileges, but that the deprived are conscious of their deprivations.
Clive JamesRead
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