Living substance conquers the frenzy of destruction only in the ecstasy of procreation.
Walter BenjaminRead
Of all the ways of acquiring books, writing them oneself is regarded as the most praiseworthy method. Writers are really people who write books not because they are poor, but because they are dissatisfied with the books which they could buy but do not like.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writing books is a noble pursuit driven by dissatisfaction with existing literature.
Walter Benjamin suggests that the act of writing books is the highest form of acquiring knowledge and literature because it stems from a deep-seated dissatisfaction with the current offerings in books. Writers engage in this creative process not out of lack of resources but from a fervent desire to express their unique viewpoints and fill the gaps they see in existing literature.
Themes
WritingBooksLiteratureCreativityDissatisfaction
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the value of original works, this quote emphasizes the importance of authorship.
More from Walter Benjamin
All quotes →The illiterate of the future will not be the man who cannot read the alphabet, but the one who cannot take a photograph.
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If mythic violence is lawmaking, divine violence is law-destroying; if the former sets boundaries, the latter boundlessly destroys them; if mythic violence brings at once guilt and retribution, divine power only expiates; if the former threatens, the latter strikes; if the former is bloody, the latter is lethal without spilling blood
Walter BenjaminRead
Writers are really people who write books not because they are poor, but because they are dissatisfied with the books which they could buy but do not like.
Walter BenjaminRead
Nothing is poorer than a truth expressed as it was thought. Committed to writing in such cases, it is not even a bad photograph. Truth wants to be startled abruptly, at one stroke, from her self-immersion, whether by uproar, music or cries for help.
Walter BenjaminRead
I am unpacking my library. Yes I am. The books are not yet on the shelves, not yet touched by the mild boredom of order.
Walter BenjaminRead
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If you don't like my book, write your own. If you don't think you can write a novel, that ought to tell you something. If you think you can, do. No excuses. If you still don't like my novel, find a book you do like. Life is too short to be miserable. If you do like my novels, I commend your good taste.
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