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
There's nothing glorious about being a professional. . . . Professionalism probably comes down to being able to work on a bad day.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Professionalism is about maintaining work ethic even in difficult circumstances.
Norman Mailer suggests that true professionalism does not equate to glory or perfection; rather, it lies in the ability to persist and perform well even on challenging days. This perspective highlights resilience and dedication as essential traits of a professional, emphasizing that success is often achieved through perseverance rather than ideal conditions.
Themes
ProfessionalismDedicationResilienceWork EthicSuccess
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect for a motivational speech at a corporate event.
More from Norman Mailer
All quotes βI 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.
Norman MailerRead
The natural role of twentieth-century man is anxiety.
Norman MailerRead
Over-certified adjectives are the mark of most best-seller writing
Norman MailerRead
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
Alimony is the curse of the writing class.
Norman MailerRead
Similar quotes
It doesn't matter how many times you fail. You only have to be right once and then everyone can tell you that you are an overnight success.
Mark CubanRead
What I learned from that loss, and also another loss that I'm going to talk about later, was that when you're there, it's not good enough to be there, when you're there, you better walk away with that ring.
Don ShulaRead
Just because I made it look easy doesn't mean that it was and you don't work hard and become a Hall of Famer without working day in and day out.
Ken Griffey, Jr.Read
Most investors want to do today what they should have done yesterday.
Lawrence SummersRead
It has been a long road. From a mountain coolie, a bearer of loads, to a wearer of a coat with rows of medals who is carried about in planes and worries about income tax.
Tenzing NorgayRead
Just remember, you can't climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.
Arnold SchwarzeneggerRead