The word "now" is like a bomb through the window, and it ticks.
Arthur MillerRead
Controlled hysteria is what's required. To exist constantly in a state of controlled hysteria. It's agony. But everyone has agony. The difference is that I try to take my agony home and teach it to sing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the struggle of managing personal pain while finding a way to express it creatively.
Arthur Miller's quote highlights the idea that everyone experiences their own form of suffering or 'agony', but what sets individuals apart is their approach to dealing with this pain. Instead of being overwhelmed by it, Miller suggests adopting a mindset of 'controlled hysteria', where one channels their emotional turmoil into creativity, ultimately transforming their agony into art or expression. This speaks to the profound relationship between suffering and creativity, emphasizing that it is possible to find beauty and meaning even in hardship.
Themes
AgonyCreativityPainControlled HysteriaExpression
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about resilience and creativity.
More from Arthur Miller
All quotes →Amos Oz is one of the finest novelists of this entire period. MY MICHAEL is a beautiful work of great depth and in some indescribable way lingers in the mind as a lyric song to his country's people as much as a moving love story.
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Just remember, kid, you can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole than a word that you gave away.
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Oh,Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer.
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The structure of a play is always the story of how the birds came home to roost.
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Immortality is like trying to carve your initials in a block of ice in the middle of July.
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