"The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a deeply held belief is not necessarily an erroneous one."
This quote emphasizes that challenging deeply held beliefs does not always imply they are incorrect or based on errors. Instead, it suggests that opposing views might be equally valid perspectives, even if they contradict our personal convictions. It underscores the importance of open-mindedness and understanding that there may be more than one truth in complex issues, as people's beliefs are influenced by various factors such as experiences, upbringing, and cultural background.
"We are here to add something to the sum total of absurdity in the universe."
This quote by George Saunders suggests that humans have a role in contributing to the overall ridiculousness, chaos, or absurdity present in the universe. It implies that life is inherently irrational, and as individuals, we can't change this fundamental nature, but rather, our purpose might be to contribute to it in some way. The quote encourages us to embrace the absurdities of existence, recognize our place within them, and strive to make a unique mark, however small or seemingly insignificant, in the grand cosmic scheme.
"The world is not made up of atoms, it's made up of stories."
This quote by George Saunders suggests that our perception of reality is shaped more by narratives and stories we share and hear than by the physical building blocks (atoms) that make up the world. Essentially, he's emphasizing the power of storytelling in defining our understanding of the world and each other. It underscores the importance of empathy, connection, and communication through shared narratives as key components of human experience.
"You will become way less concerned with what other people think of you when you realize how seldom they do."
This quote by George Saunders implies that people often worry too much about what others think of them, but in reality, others are usually preoccupied with their own lives and thoughts, which reduces the importance we should place on external validation. By recognizing this truth, individuals can reduce their concern over others' opinions, thereby fostering greater self-acceptance and personal growth.
"Truth, to the open mind, is a pathless land."
This quote suggests that absolute truth, especially in complex matters, cannot be found through linear or conventional methods. Instead, genuine understanding (or "truth") requires an open, flexible, and expansive approach that welcomes multiple perspectives and possibilities. It implies that the pursuit of knowledge should not be confined by preconceived ideas or a rigid adherence to one viewpoint, but rather approached with curiosity, humility, and the willingness to reconsider what is known.
To me, the writer's main job is to just make the story unscroll in such a way that the reader is snared - she's right there, seeing things happen and caring about them. And if you dedicate yourself to this job, the meanings more or less take care of themselves. That's the theory, anyway.
- George Saunders
I think fiction isn't so good at being for or against things in general - the rhetorical argument a short story can make is only actualized by the accretion of particular details, and the specificity of these details renders whatever conclusions the story reaches invalid for wider application.
- George Saunders
More and more these days what I find myself doing in my stories is making a representation of goodness and a representation of evil and then having those two run at each other full-speed, like a couple of PeeWee football players, to see what happens. Who stays standing? Whose helmet goes flying off?
- George Saunders
It would be so weird if we knew just as much as we needed to know to answer all the questions of the universe. Wouldn't that be freaky? Whereas the probability is high that there is a vast reality that we have no way to perceive, that's actually bearing down on us now and influencing everything.
- George Saunders
It seems to me a worthy goal: try to create a representation of consciousness that's durable and truthful, i.e., that accounts, somewhat, for all the strange, tiny, hard-to-articulate, instantaneous, unwilled things that actually go on in our minds in the course of a given day, or even a given moment.
- George Saunders
So for me the approach has become to go into a story not really sure of what I want to say, try to find some little seed crystal of interest, a sentence or an image or an idea, and as much as possible divest myself of any deep ideas about it. And then by this process of revision, mysteriously it starts to accrete meanings as you go.
- George Saunders
Stories, as much as we like to talk about them, retrospectively, as emanations of theme or worldview or intention, occur primarily as technical objects when they're being written. Or at least they do for me. They're the result of thousands of decisions made at speed during revision.
- George Saunders
For me, the game would be to assume a very intelligent reader who can extrapolate a lot from a little. And that's become my definition of art; to get that pitch just right, where I can put a hint on page three, and the reader's ears go up a bit, as opposed to dropping it all on the first page.
- George Saunders
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