“Everyone has to have either this or that problem, if he can't find any problem, he loses all reason for living.” IfsReasonProblemLosesAdversity Author:Gao Xingjian
“If everyone is a hero, then disasters and atrocities lose their meaning. It's only when certain people are heroes and others are not that these tragedies and disasters that mankind faces take on meaning.” PeopleIfsFacesCertainLosesMankindHeroTragedyDisasterAtrocities Author:Gao Xingjian
“If literature is to transcend political interference and return to being a testimony of man and his existential predicament, it needs first to break away from ideology. To be without "isms," is to return to the individual and to return to viewing the world through the eyes of the writer, an individual who relies on his own perceptions and does not act as a spokesman for the people. The people already have rulers and election campaigners speaking in their name.” PeopleIfsMenWorldNeedsFirstsDoeEyePoliticalLiteratureNamesIndividualBreakReturnPerceptionElectionIdeologyRelyRulersExistentialTestimonyInterferenceThrough The EyesIsmsPredicaments Author:Gao Xingjian
“If, while observing the boundless universe, the writer is able to scrutinise his own self as well as others, the resulting incisiveness of his observations will far surpass objective descriptions of reality.” IfsWritingWellsSelfRealityAbleUniverseObjectivesObservationDescriptionObservingBoundless Author:Gao Xingjian
“In the century that has just passed, many of the intellectual elite went mad. It was as if, with the death of God, everyone suddenly turned into a saviour who wanted either to annihilate the obsolete world order or to establish a utopia. Naturally, there were writers among those who went mad. The fact that they had knowledge did not exempt intellectuals: there is madness everywhere. When one loses control over one's self, the result is madness.” IfsWorldSelfFactsWantedOrderLosesResultsCenturyIntellectualMadnessMadElitesUtopiaSaviourObsoleteWorld Order Author:Gao Xingjian
“I hadn't originally intended to do any reading, what if I did read one book more or one book less, whether I read or not wouldn't make a difference, I would still be waiting to get cremated.” IfsStillsBookReadingWaitingDifferencesMaking A DifferenceWhat If Book:Soul Mountain Source: Soul Mountain
“Men always look differently at women, even if it's not your intention it is wrongly interpreted as such.” IfsMenLooksIntention Book:Soul Mountain Source: Soul Mountain
“If you want to do anything, do it now, without compromise or concession, because you have only one life.” IfsWantCompromiseConcessions Author:Gao Xingjian
“In the history of literature there are many great enduring works which were not published in the lifetimes of the authors. If the authors had not achieved self-affirmation while writing, how could they have continued to write?” IfsWritingSelfLiteratureLifetimeEndureSelflessAffirmationSelf Affirmation Author:Gao Xingjian
