Tao Lin Quotes

Powerful Tao Lin for Daily Growth

About Tao Lin

Tao Lin (born December 16, 1983) is an American novelist, poet, and short-story writer, recognized for his unique blend of minimalism and confessional elements in his work. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Lin spent much of his early life living between cities along the Eastern Seaboard, including Baltimore, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, due to his parents' jobs as college professors. This nomadic upbringing may have influenced Lin's exploration of transient and disaffected youth cultures in his writing. Lin studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and later at Columbia University. His debut novel, "Eeeee Eee Ee Ee" (2007), was self-published online before being picked up by a small press. The book's raw, stream-of-consciousness style caught the attention of critics and readers alike, earning Lin comparisons to writers such as David Foster Wallace and Miranda July. In 2010, Lin published "Richard Yates," a semi-autobiographical novel that deals with themes of identity, technology, and relationships in contemporary America. The book was a New York Times bestseller and was followed by "Taipei" (2013), which explored similar themes but within the context of Lin's personal experiences living in Taipei, Taiwan. Lin is also known for his collection of short stories, "Bed" (2015), as well as a series of poetry books, including "You Are a Maze of Death" (2013) and "777" (2016). His work often deals with internet culture, mental health issues, and the struggles of millennial life. Despite the controversial nature of some of his subject matter, Lin's writing has made him one of the most interesting and influential figures in contemporary American literature.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I don't really believe in anything, I just write about things."

This quote suggests that the author, Tao Lin, approaches writing as a neutral observer rather than through a lens of personal beliefs or values. He writes to explore and depict various aspects of life, not necessarily to advocate for or challenge any specific ideology. The act of writing serves as a means of understanding and expressing the world around him, without being bound by personal convictions.

"I think it's better to be happy than to be right sometimes."

This quote by Tao Lin emphasizes the value of prioritizing happiness over being right in certain situations. It suggests that pursuing personal satisfaction and emotional well-being is more important than insisting on being correct, even when faced with disagreements or conflicts. In other words, it encourages finding harmony and contentment, rather than clinging stubbornly to one's beliefs at the expense of relationships or inner peace.

"If you can imagine a future that doesn't include this person, then the answer is no."

This quote suggests that if one can envision their life without a particular person, then they may not have a strong, long-term connection with them. It implies that for some relationships to be worth maintaining, imagining a future without the other person would cause discomfort or distress, as these individuals play significant roles in our lives and futures. However, if one can easily picture their life continuing smoothly without someone, it may indicate that the relationship is not as essential or meaningful. This quote serves as a reminder to value and prioritize relationships based on their impact on our future selves.

"The past and the future are really strange and beautiful illusions."

This quote by Tao Lin suggests that our perceptions of both the past and the future, while integral to our understanding of reality, can be deceptive and dreamlike in nature. The past is often idealized or romanticized, while the future remains uncertain and open to interpretation. By emphasizing their "strange" and "beautiful" qualities, Lin implies that these temporal perspectives, though illusory, hold a sense of wonder and fascination that can inspire us to continue moving forward in life.

"Everyone's trying their best to do something that they think is important, even if it's just getting through the day."

This quote by Tao Lin underscores the shared human experience of perseverance in our individual endeavors, regardless of their magnitude or significance. It highlights that everyone, from the most prominent figure to the seemingly ordinary person, is striving to make a difference in their unique way. This can range from making groundbreaking discoveries to simply getting through another day, as we each interpret what's important in our lives.

I can discern that certain things have an effect on certain other things, but I don't view those effects as good or bad. If a context and a goal is defined, I could say if it's good or bad. But overall, I don't view things as good or bad.

- Tao Lin

Goal, Bad, Other, Discern

I like part-time jobs in restaurants.

- Tao Lin

Like, Jobs, Restaurants, Part-Time

The idea of 'advice,' in terms of telling people advice or asking people for advice, has become not comprehensible to me, to a certain degree, due to feeling, like, for something to be accurately defined as 'good' or 'bad,' I would want to know the context, goal, perspective for it.

- Tao Lin

Asking, Bad, Telling, Context

I don't view my memory as accurate or static - and, in autobiographical fiction, my focus is still on creating an effect, not on documenting reality - so 'autobiographical,' to me, is closer in meaning to 'fiction' than 'autobiography.'

- Tao Lin

Memory, Static, Still, Documenting

I think it would be funny for people to read in obituaries of me that my major contribution to the arts was the popularization of the phrases 'neutral facial expression' and 'screaming in agony.'

- Tao Lin

Think, I Think, Read, Screaming

My face always looks bored or depressed. It's not an accurate impression.

- Tao Lin

Face, Looks, Always, Bored

I don't have a definition for depression. I'm productive, and that's not a sign of depression, right? And I don't have weeks where I don't leave my bed. It seems like depressed people have those.

- Tao Lin

Bed, Like, Weeks, Depressed

I haven't written about an immigrant experience because I haven't experienced that before and am focused on existential themes.

- Tao Lin

Experience, Before, About, Experienced

I don't think music affects what words I choose to type in what order, within what punctuation, at this point, because I'm rereading and editing each sentence, at this point, in my published books, probably 100-150 times each, on average, and listening to probably 20-60 different songs in that time.

- Tao Lin

Choose, Average, Type, Published

I listen to music almost any time I'm not sleeping, 'hanging out' with specific people, or showering.

- Tao Lin

Specific, Almost, Any, Hanging

I don't have specific music for when I'm writing. I'm usually listening to the same playlist or 'artist' before I arrive at the computer as when I'm walking somewhere after leaving the computer.

- Tao Lin

Listening, Artist, Before, Leaving

I think I've written about family and things in 'Taipei' which could be considered Asian culture.

- Tao Lin

Think, I Think, Which, Asian

If I were really rich, I would be flying places, I think.

- Tao Lin

Think, Places, I Think, Flying

If I don't like someone and I start reading their stuff, it seems like my brain will just automatically start criticizing everything that's there. It's really hard to read a book without having all this outside information telling you what to think about it.

- Tao Lin

Book, Criticizing, Telling, Automatically

I feel 'proud' whenever I feel that I've worked on something for a certain amount of time with a certain amount of attention. I'm not sure if I think in terms of 'pride' though.

- Tao Lin

Think, I Think, Amount, Pride

I'm not being secretive about anything. I just actually don't have opinions about society.

- Tao Lin

Society, Secretive, Actually, Opinions

A lot of people think I'm a vegan. I'm not.

- Tao Lin

People, Think, Lot, Vegan

My first book was poetry, but I didn't write it first. I wrote it third. So my first two books were prose.

- Tao Lin

Book, Prose, Wrote, Third

I don't think I understand the concept of regret. Because if I regret anything, that would mean, like, I hate myself.

- Tao Lin

Regret, Think, Like, Concept

I like most any place if I have Internet access.

- Tao Lin

Place, Like, Most, Access

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