Quote o' the Day: Anne Rice

"Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly."

—Author Anne Rice, talking about
what she learned from Franz Kafka

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Posted by: Mike

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Henry Rogers: "That works fine for an artist, writer photographer or whatever working on their own. A lot of worthwhile human activity depends on teamwork. The attitude expressed in the quote makes teamwork more difficult. I'm sure we all know people who have, by pursuing that idea to extremes, blighted their own lives, and obstructed the worthwhile efforts of others, by refusing to compromise. It isn't a matter of surrendering integrity to compromise when by doing so the team is enabled to work towards worthwhile results. On its own that quote provides an excuse, not an ideal to work towards."

Comments

[hugh crawford]

I think Ann Rice left out the part where if Franz Kafka is your role model, you should really consider getting a literary agent if you want to avoid the part where you work for an insurance company, burn almost ail your manuscripts and die unpublished.

[MikeR]

I have to thank you.

I have been on the lookout for a new quotation to use in my email signature block. I have used this one for almost two years:

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." ~ Goethe

Looks like Anne Rice gets honored next.

[John robison]

So, if your 'obsession' is being a white supremacist then this advice would make you into a Adolph Hitler clone.

[Henry Rogers]

Mike, That works fine for an artist, writer photographer or whatever working on their own. A lot of worthwhile human activity depends on teamwork.

The attitude expressed in the quote makes teamwork more difficult. I'm sure we all know people who have, by pursuing that idea to extremes, blighted their own lives, and obstructed the worthwhile efforts of others, by refusing to compromise. It isn't a matter of surrendering integrity to compromise when by doing so the team is enabled to work towards worthwhile results.

On it's own that quote provides an excuse, not an ideal to work towards.

[nicholas von staden]

where's the "Like" button...

[Eric Rose]

Rather defines narcissism taken to the n'th degree. Can be equally applied by those with only good in their hearts, serial killers and even those that just want to be be couch potatoes. Typical of the pablum served up by the self help gurus. Those that are truly motivated and feel a "calling" in any direction have what it takes, be it guts, determination, and focus. What many lack is opportunity. Opportunity can be defined in many different ways.

[Wayne]

What I learned from Kafka is that exposure to him makes my brain do funny things when I sleep afterwards....Talk about weird dreams. And I am not normally a person who remembers dreams.

[Gabe]

I wonder why you thought of work .... the word ( and idea) never came up in the quote, rather the exact opposite. She was speaking to the individual - you saw an anti-team player. She was about passions, you were about conformity and teamwork. The exact opposites ...... even the humblest clerk, forced to kiss team butt all week can be Superman on the weekend. He/she can be the most passionate, stubborn, creative, nonsensical, individualistic, son of a bitch photographer or artist or composer, or kite flier in their non-work time. Teamwork is far down on the creativity scale. An idea is nurtured and sustained till it breaks out of the cocoon and perhaps then it'll need a team to further its execution .... but not always, perhaps overwhelmingly, not always.

[Rod Graham]

I agree with Mr. Roger's first sentence. And while I don't disagree with the rest of what he has to say, I consider it considerably " off topic" to the quote from Ms. Rice. I find her words very inspirational and there is no need to " water down" what she said.

[Kenneth Brayton]

Henry, last I checked this is a site for artist,photographers, and a few writers as well. After over 40 years of corporate teamwork I didn't even get a damned watch when I retired, they did escort me to the door. If you ever want to know where the I in teamwork is, it's above your pay grade. Whatever I have done in photography, I have done. That is a good thing.