You fall out of your mother's womb, you crawl across open country under fire, and drop into your grave.
Quentin CrispRead
The search for a life-style involves a journey to the interior. This is not altogether a pleasant experience, because you not only have to take stock of what you consider your assets but you also have to take a long look at what your friends call “the trouble with you.” Nevertheless, the journey is worth making.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Exploring one's lifestyle requires introspection, which can be uncomfortable but ultimately rewarding.
Quentin Crisp's quote speaks to the challenges of self-discovery and the often uncomfortable process of examining both our strengths and weaknesses. While reflecting on what defines our lifestyle may reveal unflattering truths about ourselves, it is an essential journey that can lead to greater understanding and fulfillment in life.
Themes
IntrospectionSelf-DiscoveryLifestyleSelf-ReflectionJourney
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational seminar about personal growth, this quote can inspire attendees to embrace their imperfections.
More from Quentin Crisp
All quotes →The consuming desire of most human beings is deliberately to plant their whole life in the hands of some other person. I would describe this method of searching for happiness as immature. Development of character consists solely in moving toward self-sufficiency.
Quentin CrispRead
What would you be like if you were the only person in the world? If you want to be truly happy you must be that person.
Quentin CrispRead
If you describe things as better than they are, you are considered to be a romantic; if you describe things as worse than they are, you will be called a realist; and if you describe things exactly as they are, you will be thought of as a satirist.
Quentin CrispRead
The flagrantly gay Quentin Crisp dealt with homophobic bullying by refusing to bow to its onslaught. His number listed in the phone directory, he responded to derogatory remarks accompanied with a stated intent to kill him by asking, "Would you like to make an appointment?"
Quentin CrispRead
It is explained that all relationships require a little give and take. This is untrue. Any partnership demands that we give and give and give and at the last, as we flop into our graves exhausted, we are told that we didn't give enough.
Quentin CrispRead
Similar quotes
Take away hatred from some people, and you have men without faith.
Eric HofferRead
A very popular error: having the courage of one's convictions; rather it is a matter of having the courage for an attack on one's convictions.
Friedrich NietzscheRead
There is no longer a single idea explaining everything, but an infinite number of essences giving a meaning to an infinite number of objects. The world comes to a stop, but also lights up.
Albert CamusRead
To be suspicious is not a fault. To be suspicious all the time without coming to a conclusion is the defect.
Lu XunRead
There is no good trying to be more spiritual than God. God never meant man to purely spiritual creature. That is why He uses material things like bread and wine to put the new life into us. We may think this rather crude and unspiritual. God does not: He invented eating. He likes matter. He invented it.
C. S. LewisRead
When there is no mind, you are in yoga; when there is mind you are not in yoga. So you may do all the postures, but if the mind goes on functioning, if you go on thinking, you are not in yoga. Yoga is the state of no-mind. If you can be without the mind without doing any posture, you have become a perfect yogi. It has happened to many without doing any postures, and it has not happened to many who have been doing postures for many lives.
RajneeshRead