“Father, I am from a different egg than your other children. Think of me as a duckling raised by hens. I am not a domestic bird destined to spend his life in a chicken coop. the water that scares you rejuvenates me. For unlike you I can swim, and swim I shall. The ocean is my homeland. If you are with me, come to the ocean. If not, stop interfering with me and go back to the chicken coop.” IfsThinkingChildrenI CanDifferentFatherWaterLike YouOceanBirdRaisedEggsChickensSwimScareInterfereDestinedHomelandThink Of MeHensDucklings Author:Elif Safak
“Personally, I didn't think there was anything wrong with sadness. Just the opposite – hypocrisy made people happy and truth made them sad.” PeopleThinkingMadeSadnessOppositesHypocrisy Author:Elif Safak
“One night, a group of moths gathered on a shelf watching a burning candle. Puzzled by the nature of the light, they sent one of their members to go and check on it. The scouting moth circled the candle several times and came back with a description: The light was bright. Then a second moth went to examine it. He, too, came back with an observation: The light was hot. Finally a third moth volunteered to go. When he approached the candle he didn't stop like his friends had done, but flew straight into the flame. He was consumed there and then, and only he understood the nature of the light.” DoneLightNightGroupsMembersUnderstoodThirdsHotChecksObservationBurningFlamesDescriptionCandleShelvesConsumedOne NightFlewMothsPuzzledScouting Author:Elif Safak
“That was the one thing about the rain that likened it to sorrow: You did your best to remain untouched, safe and dry, but if and when you failed, there came a point in which you started seeing the problem less in terms of drops than as an incessant gush, and thereby you decide you might as well get drenched.” IfsWellsProblemMightTermSeeingOne ThingSorrowSafeRainDryIncessantIfs And Author:Elif Safak
“If you want to experience eternal illumination, put the past and the future out of your mind and remain within the present moment.” IfsWantMindMomentsPastEternalFortyPresent MomentIllumination Author:Elif Safak
“Feminists are now being vilified in politics, erdogan used to speak more embracingly, saying he was the leader of everyone, whether they voted for him or not. He sounds as if he puts a distance between himself and half the nation.” IfsUsedPoliticsSpeakNationsSoundHalfLeaderDistanceFeministErdogan Author:Elif Safak
“Words are heavy in Turkey, and every writer, every poet and every journalist knows that, because of a word, because of a sentence, because of a tweet or even a retweet, you can be sued, you can be demonized by the media and you can even land in prison.” KnowsLandMediaPoetPrisonHeavySentencesJournalistTurkeysTweetRetweet Author:Elif Safak
“When I am writing political op-eds, I do think carefully about the impact of my words. When I am writing fiction, it's a different story. In my fiction I am more reckless. I don't care about the real world until I am done with the book.” ThinkingWorldWritingBookDifferentRealDoneStoriesCarePoliticalFictionImpactDon't CareI Don't CareReal WorldRecklessWriting Fiction Author:Elif Safak
“I remember a time when it was ok to make fun of politicians and powerful people. Now, it's not ok anymore. We've forgotten how to laugh.” PeopleRememberFunPowerfulLaughingPoliticianForgotten Author:Elif Safak
“Our politics is very masculine, very aggressive, and it's very polarizing. And the pace of this development has increased in recent years. Erdogan is, in my eyes, the most polarizing politician in recent Turkish political history.” YearsEyePoliticalDevelopmentPoliticianPaceAggressiveMasculineTurkishPolitical HistoryPolarizingErdogan Author:Elif Safak
“Almost half of the Turkish population believes it is not legitimate to criticize the government. Interestingly, this correlates with the number of supporters of Erdogan's government.” BelieveGovernmentNumbersHalfPopulationCriticizeSupporterTurkishErdogan Author:Elif Safak
“Many analysts compare Turkey with countries in the Middle East, but I think we need to compare it with Russia. Both countries come from a tradition of empire, and also from a tradition of the strong state.” ThinkingNeedsCountryStatesStrongMiddleTraditionEastRussiaCompareEmpiresMiddle EastTurkeysAnalysts Author:Elif Safak
“In a normal democracy, you protect the individual from the excessive power of the state. In Turkey, power elites try to protect the state - as if this state were fragile and needed protection - when in fact, it's too powerful already.” IfsTryingStatesFactsIndividualPowerfulDemocracyNeededProtectNormalProtectionFragileElitesTurkeys Author:Elif Safak
“I am very worried about this concentration of power, and it's not only because of Erdogan. We have the ballot box, but we don't have the culture of democracy. The government says: You see, we have the majority, we're entitled to do anything we want. But that's not democracy, that's majoritarianism.” WantGovernmentCultureDemocracyMajorityBoxesWorriedConcentrationEntitledBallotsErdogan Author:Elif Safak
“Obviously, Turkey is not a typical authoritarian regime, and obviously it's very important that there are free elections. But it's also obvious that this is not a liberal, mature democracy. This is why I call Turkey a wobbly democracy. At any time, it can tip over and fall down.” ImportantFallDemocracyElectionObviousMatureRegimesTypicalTurkeysFalling DownFree Elections Author:Elif Safak
“Sometimes I feel I have more faith in European ideals than some of my British or French friends. For them, it's a financial burden. For me, Europe is primarily about values, about fundamental rights, freedom, women's rights.” FeelsSometimesValuesRightsEuropeIdealsFundamentalsFinancialBurdenBritishWomens RightsFundamental RightsFinancial Burden Author:Elif Safak
“I would like the refugee crisis to become a new beginning in the Turkish-European relationship. But it would be very problematic if, during this process, human rights were forgotten. Democracy needs to be the priority.” IfsNeedsHumansWould BeProcessDemocracyRightsCrisisForgottenHuman RightsPrioritiesRefugeeNew BeginningsTurkishRefugee Crisis Author:Elif Safak
“I see two opposite tendencies in Turkish society: people feel demoralized, they lose the interest in politics and retreat to their private lives; or they become very angry and even more politicized, and radicalized. Both trends are troublesome.” PeopleFeelsTwoInterestLosesOppositesAngryTendenciesTrendsRetreatPrivate LifeTroublesomeTurkishDemoralizedTwo OppositesInterest In Politics Author:Elif Safak
“Turkey in general became too involved with what is happening in Egypt and in Syria. Some politicians with neo-Ottoman dreams developed this idea of being a major player in the Middle East, which hasn't gone as expected.” IdeasDreamGonePlayerMiddleInvolvedPoliticianMajorsHappeningsEastExpectedMiddle EastSyriaEgyptTurkeysOttomans Author:Elif Safak
“I believe in optimism of the will, pessimism of the intellect. But my hope is the people, the society, which is ahead of the government.” PeopleBelieveGovernmentI BelieveOptimismI Believe InIntellectPessimism Author:Elif Safak
“Turkey has a very young, dynamic, curious population. In Europe, Facebook and Twitter are mostly about sharing daily experiences while for Turkish people, social networks are political platforms.” PeopleYoungPoliticalSocialEuropePopulationCuriousPlatformsTurkeysSocial NetworkTurkishDaily Experience Author:Elif Safak
“The digital world is developing with such force and such a pace that you simply can't ban or control it. People want to be globally connected.” PeopleWorldWantForceConnectedDevelopingDigitalPaceBansDigital World Author:Elif Safak
“After the Ankara bombings on October 10, people were asked to hold a minute of silence, but many refused. Our society can't even unite in grief to honor the victims. We've lost our empathy. That's maybe the worst.” PeopleLostGriefSilenceMinutesWorstHonorEmpathyVictimOur SocietyOctoberBombingAnkara Author:Elif Safak
“The child had indeed shut up but all the questions that had accumulated on his tongue circulated in his mouth, moved through the passages of his nose and climbed up from there to tickle into his teardrop ducts, so in his moss green pupils, curious, insistent, accusing sparks of questions continued to light up and fade away like fireflies flitting about on summer nights.” ChildrenLightNightSummerMouthsGreenMovedTongueCuriousNosesSparksPassagesFadesShut UpPupilsLight UpFade AwayMossFireflyAccusingSummer NightsTeardrop Author:Elif Safak
“How can love be worthy of its name if one selects solely the pretty things and leaves out the hardships? It is easy to enjoy the good and dislike the bad. Anybody can do that. The real challenge is to love the good and the bad together, not because you need to take the rough with the smooth but because you need to go beyond such descriptions and accept love in its entirety.” IfsNeedsRealTogetherNamesEasyEnjoyCan DoChallengesLove IsAcceptingWorthyDescriptionRoughHardshipDislikeSmoothEntiretyPretty Things Author:Elif Safak
“Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation. If we are the same person before and after we loved, that means we haven't loved enough.” IfsLoveMeanPersonsEnoughStoriesHavensTransformationUnexpectedFortyLove And FriendshipBefore And After Author:Elif Safak
“You see, unlike in the movies, there is no THE END sign flashing at the end of books. When I've read a book, I don't feel like I've finished anything. So I start a new one.” FeelsBookEndsFinished Author:Elif Safak
“The Iron Rule of prudence for an Istanbulite Woman: If you are as fragile as a tea glass, either find a way to never encounter burning water and hope to marry an ideal husband or get yourself laid and broken as soon as possible. Alternatively, stop being a tea-glass woman!” IfsWayWaterBrokenHusbandIdealsGlassesBurningTeaEncountersIronFragilePrudenceIdeal Husband Author:Elif Safak
“I see what you mean. It must be a huge relief, and an easy way out, to think the devil is always outside of us. (…) we would stop looking for Sheitan outside and instead focus on ourselves. What we need is sincere self-examination. Not being on the watch for the faults of others.” (p. 257).” ThinkingWayNeedsMeanSelfEasyWatchesFocusHugeDevilFaultsReliefSincereExaminationEasy WaySelf-examination Author:Elif Safak
“The universe is one being. Everything and everyone is interconnected through an invisible web of stories. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are all in a silent conversation. Do no harm. Practise compassion. And do not gossip behind anyone's back - not even seemingly innocent remark! The words that come out of our mouth do not vanish but are perpetually stored in infinite space, and they will come back to us in due time. One man's pain will hurt us all. One man's joy will make everyone smile.” MenStoriesPainJoyUniverseHurtSpaceBehindsCompassionConversationMouthsInfiniteSilentDuesHarmInvisibleInnocentFortyGossipOne ManRemarksInterconnectedPractiseInfinite SpaceDue Time Author:Elif Safak
“I slept peacefully that night, feeling exultant and determined. Little did I know that I was making the most common and the most painful mistake women have made all throughout the ages: to naively think that with their love they can change the man they love.” ThinkingKnowsMenLittlesMadeFeelingsAgeNightCommonMistakePainfulDetermined Author:Elif Safak
“I like to borrow a metaphor from the great poet and mystic Rumi who talks about living like a drawing compass. One leg of the compass is static. It is fixed and rooted in a certain spot. Meanwhile, the other leg draws a huge wide circle around the first one, constantly moving. Just like that, one part of my writing is based in Istanbul. It has strong local roots. Yet at the same time the other part travels the whole wide world, feeling connected to several cities, cultures, and peoples.” WorldWritingFirstsWholeFeelingsMovingCertainCultureStrongCitiesPoetHugeDrawsRootsMetaphorLegsConnectedWideDrawingCirclesLocalsSpotsFixedRootedCompassMysticStaticGreat PoetIstanbulConstantly Moving Author:Elif Safak
“Creativity is contagious. And so is banality. Criticism is an art in itself. Don't let the dullness around destroy the creativity within. T.S. Eliot said, "honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry." Good to remember.” ArtSaidRememberCreativityHonestPoetCriticismAppreciationSensitiveContagiousDullnessBanalityEliotHonest Criticism Author:Elif Safak
“No reason to feel depressed about being depressed. A depression can be a golden opportunity to collect the pieces and build ourselves anew. Global Souls are always on the move, nomads at heart, connected to various cities, commuters between cultures, both from here and everywhere.” FeelsHeartSoulReasonMovingCultureOpportunityCitiesPiecesVariousConnectedGoldenNo ReasonNomadBeing DepressedGolden Opportunity Author:Elif Safak
“What i’m saying is, my friends, one ought to be able to let go. If a path does not please us, instead of insisting on going that specific way, of making our selfishness the guide, we ought to forsake. The books we cannot write, the films we cannot shoot, the projects we cannot develop, the jobs we cannot pursue and the people who no longer love us. Being able to let go, at times, is the most beautiful of all!” PeopleIfsWayWritingDoeBookAbleJobsBeautifulFilmPathOughtPleaseLetting GoProjectsMy FriendsGuidesPursueSelfishnessForsakeInsisting Author:Elif Safak
“The words that come out of our mouths do not vanish but are perpetually stored in infinite space, and they will come back to us in due time.” SpaceMouthsInfiniteDuesFortyInfinite SpaceDue Time Author:Elif Safak
“The world does not move through time as if it were a straight line, proceeding from the past to the future. Instead time moves through and within us, in endless spirals. Eternity does not mean infinite time, but simply timelessness.” IfsWorldMeanDoePastMovingLinesEternityInfiniteEndlessStraight LinesSpiralsProceedingTimelessnessInfinite Time Author:Elif Safak
“Perhaps this is why lunatics have a harder time dating, not because they are off the wall but because it is hard to find soemone who is willing to date so many people in one person.” PeoplePersonsHardWillingWallDatingHarderOff The Wall Author:Elif Safak
“Because time is a drop in the ocean, and you cannot measure off one drop against another to see which one is bigger, which one is smaller.” OceanBiggerDrops In The Ocean Author:Elif Safak
“Isn't connecting people to distant lands and culture one of the strengths of good literature?” PeopleCultureLiteratureLandConnectingGood Literature Author:Elif Safak
“But let us not forget that cities are like human beings. They are born, they go through childhood and adolescence, they grow old, and eventually they die” HumansDiesGrowsBornHuman BeingsForgetCitiesChildhoodAdolescence Author:Elif Safak
“One thing that has helped me personally in the past was to stop interfering with the people around me and getting frustrated when I couldn’t change them. Instead of intrusion and passivity, may I suggest submission? Some people make the mistake of confusing “submission” with “weakness”, whereas it is anything but. Submission is a form of peaceful acceptance of the terms of the universe, including the things we are currently unable to change or comprehend.” PeopleMayPastFormUniverseTermMistakeOne ThingAcceptanceWeaknessIncludingPeacefulFrustratedInterfereSubmissionConfusingPassivityIntrusionUnable To Change Author:Elif Safak
“Loneliness and solitude are two different things. When you are lonely, it is easy to delude yourself into believing that you are on the right path. Solitude is better for us, as it means being alone without feeling lonely. But eventually it is best to find a person, the person who will be your mirror. Remember, only in another person's heart can you truly see yourself and the presence of God within you.” BelieveHeartMeanPersonsTwoDifferentFeelingsRememberEasyPathLonelinessSolitudeLonelyMirrorsDifferent ThingsWithin YouPresence Of GodRight PathFeeling LonelyLoneliness And SolitudeTwo Different Things Author:Elif Safak
“perhaps it took a stranger to make a woman like her speak her mind.” MindSpeakStrangerLike Her Author:Elif Safak
“Article Five: If you have no reason or ability to accomplish anything, then just practice the art of becoming.” IfsArtReasonAbilityPracticeFiveBecomingAccomplishNo ReasonArticles Author:Elif Safak
“The past lives within the present, and our ancestors breathe through our children.” ChildrenPastOur ChildrenBreatheAncestorPast Life Author:Elif Safak
