I think that's one of the maybe under-discussed aspects of process - the difference between a good writing day and a bad one is the quality of the split-second decisions you made.
George SaundersRead
I still believe that capitalism is too harsh and I believe that, even within that, there is a lot of satisfaction and beauty if you happen to be one of the lucky ones, although that doesn't eradicate the reality of the suffering. It's all true at once, kind of humming and sublime.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the dual nature of capitalism, highlighting both its harshness and the beauty found within it for a fortunate few.
George Saunders's quote captures the complexity of capitalism, suggesting that while it can be an unforgiving system that generates suffering for many, there exists a simultaneous experience of satisfaction and beauty for those who find themselves fortunate within it. This duality is described as 'humming and sublime,' pointing to the coexistence of pain and joy in human experience, especially in the context of economic structures.
Themes
CapitalismSufferingBeautyLuckDuality
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about economic systems, this quote could illustrate the complexity of prosperity and hardship.
More from George Saunders
All quotes →Down in the city are the nice houses and the so-so houses and the lovers making out in dark yards and the babies crying for their moms, and I wonder if, other than Jesus, has this ever happened before. Maybe it happens all the time. Maybe there's angry dead all over, hiding in rooms, covered with blankets, bossing around their scared, embarrassed relatives. Because how would we know?
George SaundersRead
What a powerful thing to know: That one's own desires are mappable onto strangers; that what one finds in oneself will most certainly be found in The Other.
George SaundersRead
When you read a short story, you come out a little more aware and a little more in love with the world around you. What I want is to have the reader come out just 6 percent more awake to the world.
George SaundersRead
I don't think much new ever happens. Most of us spend our days the same way people spent their days in the year 1000: walking around smiling, trying to earn enough to eat, while neurotically doing these little self-proofs in our head about how much better we are than these other slobs, while simultaneously, in another part of our brain, secretly feeling woefully inadequate to these smarter, more beautiful people.
George SaundersRead
Irony is just honesty with the volume cranked up.
George SaundersRead
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