“Truth refuses to be subservient to either politics or the market.” TruthRefuseSubservient 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
“The human species does not necessarily move in stages from progress to progress ... history and civilization do not advance in tandem. From the stagnation of Medieval Europe to the decline and chaos in recent times on the mainland of Asia and to the catastrophes of two world wars in the twentieth century, the methods of killing people became increasingly sophisticated. Scientific and technological progress certainly does not imply that humankind as a result becomes more civilized.” PeopleWorldHumansDoeTwoWarMovingResultsProgressCenturyStageCivilizationEuropeMethodSpeciesChaosKillingWar Of The WorldsCivilizedDeclineHumankindWorld War ISophisticatedTechnologicalCatastropheAsiaTwentieth CenturyMedievalStagnationHuman SpeciesTwo WorldsTechnological ProgressTandemMedieval Europe Author:Gao Xingjian
“Man tends to think that he is a creator, that he is like God. This is especially true of intellectuals, and in the last century, intellectuals tended to forget that they were like everyone else. Writing this book was a description of man going from a state of God back to a state of man, back to being a normal person.” ThinkingMenWritingPersonsBookStatesLastsForgetCenturyNormalCreatorDescription Author:Gao Xingjian
“Maybe there isn't a God after all, maybe there's only a universe rotating by itself like a millstone.” GodUniverseRotating Author:Gao Xingjian
“You contemplate and you wander without any worries, between heaven and earth, in your own private world, and in this way you acquire supreme freedom.” WorldWayEarthHeavenWorrySupremeWanderAcquireContemplatingHeaven And Earth Author:Gao Xingjian
“Once the buttons are undone, you know how it'll all end. It's all in the game, there are no miracles.” KnowsEndsGamesKnow HowMiracleButtonsUndone Author:Gao Xingjian
“When I came overseas, I realized that there are many ideologies and many trends, and it's also very hard to produce honest art and honest literature. I decided that I didn't want to follow any of these ideologies or trends, because that's also a kind of pressure that doesn't allow absolute freedom. So I decided that I was only going to produce works that were satisfactory to me, and that meant not following any trends and being anti-ideological.” WantKindArtHardLiteratureHonestProduceDecidedAbsolutesPressureFollowingI RealizedIdeologyTrendsIdeologicalAbsolute Freedom Author:Gao Xingjian
“In my view the time for rousing revolutionary literature has passed, because the revolution has already revolutionised itself to death and has left behind only bitterness and a sort of weariness, listlessness and even nausea.” LiteratureLeftViewsBehindsRevolutionRevolutionaryBitternessLeft BehindWearinessNausea Author:Gao Xingjian