If you have the guts to be yourself, other people'll pay your price.
John UpdikeRead
To be a human being is to be in a state of tension between your appetites and your dreams, and the social realities around you and your obligations to your fellow man.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Human existence involves a constant struggle between desires, aspirations, and societal responsibilities.
John Updike's quote reflects the complexity of the human experience, highlighting the internal and external conflicts we face. It suggests that being human means navigating the tension between our personal desires and dreams, the societal expectations that shape our lives, and our moral obligations to others. This intricate balancing act defines our actions and decisions as we strive to fulfill our ambitions while remaining considerate of the world around us.
Themes
TensionAppetitesDreamsSocietyObligationsHuman Existence
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the struggles of adulthood, this quote can open a discussion about achieving dreams while acknowledging societal pressures.
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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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.
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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.
John UpdikeRead
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