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Quote by George Saunders

“I'm not a natural criticizer - I prefer to like and praise and so on.”

Quote by George Saunders

Author

George Saunders

George Saunders, born on December 2, 1958, is an American writer known for his unique humor and profound insights. His works, primarily short stories, have gained widespread recognition and have been honored with numerous literary awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. more

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“My understanding of kindness is that we are hoping to be truly beneficial in every situation, and that this desire means a whole suite of things: being nicer, sure, but also being more aware, more present, more articulate, more fearless, less habituated, etc., etc. And sometimes even being firm, or having an edge, or even being angry.”

Mean Sometimes Whole Desire Understanding Situation Kindness Angry Edges Fearless Firm Etc Being Nice Beneficial

Author:George Saunders

“I think kindness is a sort of gateway virtue - having that simple aspiration can get you into deep water very quickly - in a good way.”

Thinking Way Water Simple Kindness Virtue Aspiration Good Way Gateways Deep Water

Author:George Saunders

“The main thing a childhood in the Church did for me, I think, was set up the universe as a moral system. Once you've seen it that way, it always seems that way.”

Thinking Way Seems Universe Church Moral Childhood

Author:George Saunders

“Being in church so often, spending those hours sitting in front of a highly symbolic array of objects, hearing those beautiful texts - it teaches a kid that there are important truths beyond the literal ones, and that we have ways to access those truths that are, let's say, super-rational.”

Way Important Kids Beautiful Hours Church Teach Fronts Objects Truth Is Sitting Hearing Spending Access Rational Symbolic Literal

Author:George Saunders

“As for "toothy kindness" - I think all traditions are full of this sort of tough kindness. If someone is on a wrong or dull path, and someone else startles them into awareness of that, then that's a blessing. And the method by which the startle is obtained might be anger, or satire, or an intentionally applied indifference. But that is, of course, a fine line.”

Ifs Thinking Might Courses Lines Kindness Path Awareness Fine Blessing Tough Tradition Method Indifference Dull Satire Fine Lines

Author:George Saunders

“All traditions are also full of meanness for the sake of meanness.”

Tradition Sake Meanness

Author:George Saunders

“It is very easy for us to go, you know, "I am being cruel to be kind," when really we are just ... being cruel. Because it makes us feel big, or whatever.”

Knows Feels Kind Bigs Easy Be Kind Just Being

Author:George Saunders

“To me that really would be the essence of kindness, to have one's awareness so developed and refined that you could tell just what was needed, and not do any more or any less, and maybe not even be aware of what you had done, except it would be a helpful thing because of how fully present you were. Well, as Aerosmith once famously said: Dream on.”

Wells Said Done Dream Would Be Kindness Awareness Needed Essence Helpful Refined Aerosmith

Author:George Saunders

“My go-to default is to try to be nice, which I feel does less harm in the long run than trying to be, say, assertive. If I am nice and maybe too passive, I find that easier to live with.”

Ifs Feels Trying Long Doe Running Nice Easier Harm Long Runs Passive Being Nice Default Assertive

Author:George Saunders

“I don't tend to work directly from life, except in trying to mimic or match the outlines of its insanity. In other words, when I live through something, I just try to say to myself, "OK, remember this - life is really this crazy or scary or beautiful or surprising - so try to 'get at' that in your stories.”

Trying Stories Beautiful Remember Life Is Crazy Scary This Life Insanity Surprising Outlines

Author:George Saunders