Well, I wanted to be a philosopher, which is the idlest occupation in the world. I wanted to … - Will Self

Same topic Authors

Quote of the day

I'm leaving out some of the hugely successful megachurches, of which I have very little experience.

Will Self

Well, I wanted to be a philosopher, which is the idlest occupation in the world. I wanted to be involved in abstract thought, but because of various problems with the authorities I wasn't able to pull that one off. A lifetime of idleness in academia would have really suited me. So I was thrown out, as it were. Other than that, there seemed no possible idle occupations, so writing. . . although writing isn't exactly idleness. There's an enormous tension between indolence and languor.

Academia, Creativity, Idlest, Indolence, Philosophy, Writing

Same Author Quotes

Don't look back until you've written an entire draft, just begin each day from the last sentence you wrote the preceeding day. This prevents those cringing feelings, and means that you have a substantial body of work before you get down to the real work which is all in. . . The edit.

Begin, Cringing, Day, Mean, Real, Writing

Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever.

Lose, Mean, Memories, Memory, Notebook, Paper

A creative life cannot be sustained by approval any more than it can be destroyed by criticism.

Approval, Creative, Criticism

I'm an anarchist. I'm implacably opposed to heirarchical systems of power and control. I also mistrust crowds, as they often operate according to their lowest common denominator. In terms of evolutionary psychology, the crowd is very close to a herd of stampeding wildebeest.

Psychology, Crowds, Common, Herd, Crowd, Opposed

Whenever I produce my best work, it's always because I've spent time being idle. Something always emerges after nothing.

Best Work, Idle, Produce, Whenever, Work, Working It