Crude thoughts and fierce forces are my state. I do not know who I am. Nor what I was. I cannot hear a sound. Pain is near that will be like no pain felt before.
Norman MailerRead
If a person is not talented enough to be a novelist, not smart enough to be a lawyer, and his hands are too shaky to perform operations, he becomes a journalist.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote humorously suggests that journalism is a fallback career for those who may not excel in other professions.
Norman Mailer's quote captures a satirical view of journalism, implying that it is a profession one might enter if they lack the requisite talent for more prestigious careers like novel writing or law. This commentary reflects a societal perception that journalism, while important, is sometimes seen as an easy or last-resort option for individuals who may not succeed in 'higher' professions. The humor lies in the apparent demotion of journalism in comparison to other fields.
Themes
JournalismCareerHumorSocietyProfession
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used to spark discussion in a journalism class about the perceptions of the profession.
More from Norman Mailer
All quotes →I no longer gave a sick dog's drop for the wisdom, the reliability and the authority of the public's literary mind, those creeps and old ladies of vested reviewing.
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At bottom, I mean profoundly at bottom, the FBI has nothing to do with Communism, it has nothing to do with catching criminals, it has nothing to do with the Mafia, the syndicate, it has nothing to do with trust-busting, it has nothing to do with interstate commerce, it has nothing to do with anything but serving as a church for the mediocre. A high church for the true mediocre.
Norman MailerRead
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