I’m on a side of a road somewhere, stuck in the middle of…
““I’m on a side of a road somewhere, stuck in the middle of a very deep hole, with no way of getting out. Never mind how I got in there, it’s not relevant to the story. I’ll invent a back-story… I was walking to get pizza and a chasm opened up in the earth and I fell in, and now I’m at the bottom of this hole, screaming for help. And along comes you. Now, maybe you just keep walking. You know, there’s a strange guy screaming from the center of the Earth. It’s perhaps best to just ignore him. But let’s say that you don’t. Let’s say that you stop. The sensible thing to do in this situation is to call down to me and say “I’m going to look for a ladder. I will be right back.” But you don’t do that. Instead you sit down at the edge of this abyss, and then you push yourself forward, and jump. And when you land at the bottom of the hole and dust yourself off, I’m like “What the hell are you doing?! Now there are two of us in this hole!” And you look at me and say, “Well yeah, but now I’m highly motivated to get you out.” This is what I love about novels, both reading them and writing them. They jump into the abyss to be with you where you are””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A narrator imagines a desperate rescue scenario to illustrate how stories pull us into others' struggles, prompting shared effort and empathy.
In simple terms: Stories make us join others in hardship.
Key Takeaway
Engage deeply with others' pain.
Themes
empathy
storytelling
connection
rescue
motivation
Mood
reflective
empathetic
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- reading a novel
- writing fiction
- supporting a friend
- overcoming personal crisis
Key Concepts
Narrative immersion
shared experience
psychological motivation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you respond when someone asks for help?
- What motivates you to act beyond self‑interest?
A Different Perspective
Ignoring the call for help can deepen isolation.