Writing as Compassion
When you write, you must love your characters—even those you criticize. Compassion is not sentimentality; it is the sharpness of vision.
George Saunders
American writer and teacher, Man Booker Prize winner for Lincoln in the Bardo, renowned for combining dark humor with profound compassion.
All moments: George Saunders
- Buddhism and Satire — George Saunders
Satire is one of the ways of Buddhism. When you mock human vanity, you point people toward their suffering. This is not cruelty; this is love.
- Death as Dialogue — George Saunders
Death is not the end of the story; it is another kind of conversation. In Lincoln's afterlife, people continue to argue, love, suffer. Death is just another room.
- Three Delusions — George Saunders
We believe we are special, that we need more than others, that basic life rules don't apply to us. These three delusions are the root of all suffering.
- Plan and Betrayal — George Saunders
Have a plan, but be ready to betray it. The story is wiser than you. If it pulls you elsewhere, let go of the wheel and follow it like a student.
- The Art of Refusal — George Saunders
I teach writers: deny your characters. The more you deny them, the more they suffer, the deeper their humanity. Suffering is the path to truth.
- Drama in the Details — George Saunders
Drama is not in big events; it is in details. In the way someone ties a shoelace, in a pause before a word, in how light falls on a face. True literature is a microscope.
Related moments
- The Power of Compassion — Michael Jackson
The most important thing is love and compassion. They override everything.
- The Humility of the Great — André 3000
I just play the flute in the park. I don't need a stage or an audience. The music is enough
- Reconciliation Through Kindness — John Legend
Sometimes you just need to be kind and show that you care
- Heal the World — Michael Jackson
All I wanna do is heal the world. Make it better for our children.
- The Voice of Pain — Michael Jackson
I just want to be loved. That's all I've ever wanted.
- A Love Story — John Legend
Love is the foundation of everything I do in life