--- title: "18 Kind Quotes By John Updike" description: "18 Kind quotes by John Updike. Plus more from John Updike and more Kind sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/john-updike-396_aged_a-cynic-is-a-kind-of-romantic-who-has-ag_2902327.png" --- > [A cynic is a kind of romantic who has aged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/a-cynic-is-a-kind-of-romantic-who-has-aged/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/john-updike-396_aged_a-cynic-is-a-kind-of-romantic-who-has-ag_2902327.png) > [Fiction is in danger of becoming a kind of poetry. Only other poets read it. Only other fiction writers care about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/fiction-is-in-danger-of-becoming-a-kind-of-poetry-only-other-poets/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0f/john-updike-396_becoming_fiction-is-in-danger-of-becoming-a-kind_2521530.png) > [It is not enough for a story to flow. It has to kind of trickle and glint as it crosses over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/it-is-not-enough-for-a-story-to-flow-it-has-to-kind-of-trickle-and/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/john-updike-396_crosses_it-is-not-enough-for-a-story-to-flow-it_555146.png) > [The - writing is a kind of act of aggression, and a person who is not aggressive in his normal, may I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-writing-is-a-kind-of-act-of-aggression-and-a-person-who-is-not/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e29/john-updike-396_aggression_the-writing-is-a-kind-of-act-of-aggressi_1487248.png) > [Being able to write becomes a kind of shield, a way of hiding, a way of too instantly transforming pain into honey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/being-able-to-write-becomes-a-kind-of-shield-a-way-of-hiding-a-way-of/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/437/john-updike-396_able_being-able-to-write-becomes-a-kind-of-sh_2862028.png) > [I find in my own writing that only fiction - and rarely, a poem - fully tests me to the kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-find-in-my-own-writing-that-only-fiction-and-rarely-a-poem-fully/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/john-updike-396_feel_i-find-in-my-own-writing-that-only-ficti_2607267.png) > [I don't know; I think I'd be gloomy without some faith that there is a purpose and there is a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-don-t-know-i-think-i-d-be-gloomy-without-some-faith-that-there-is-a/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d21/john-updike-396_faith_i-don-t-know-i-think-i-d-be-gloomy-witho_1788667.png) > [The study of literature threatens to become a kind of paleontology of failure, and criticism a supercilious psychoanalysis of authors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-study-of-literature-threatens-to-become-a-kind-of-paleontology-of/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/john-updike-396_authors_the-study-of-literature-threatens-to-bec_1732673.png) > [The literary scene is a kind of Medusa’s raft, small and sinking, and one’s instinct when a newcomer tries to clamber aboard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-literary-scene-is-a-kind-of-medusa-s-raft-small-and-sinking-and/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/john-updike-396_fingers_the-literary-scene-is-a-kind-of-medusa-s_2015811.jpg) > [I know more about what it's like to be elderly and infirm and kind of stupid, the way you get forgetful, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-know-more-about-what-it-s-like-to-be-elderly-and-infirm-and-kind-of/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/john-updike-396_about_i-know-more-about-what-it-s-like-to-be-e_268257.png) > [...hate suits him better than forgiveness. Immersed in hate, he doesn't have to do anything; he can be paralyzed, and the rigidty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/hate-suits-him-better-than-forgiveness-immersed-in-hate-he-doesn-t/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/john-updike-396_forgiveness_hate-suits-him-better-than-forgiveness-i_2778371.png) > [I did feel as though a number of critics had appointed themselves, when they sat down with a new book of mine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-did-feel-as-though-a-number-of-critics-had-appointed-themselves/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14d/john-updike-396_book_i-did-feel-as-though-a-number-of-critics_1013112.png) > [When you look into a mirror it is not yourself you see, but a kind of apish error posed in fearful symmetry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/when-you-look-into-a-mirror-it-is-not-yourself-you-see-but-a-kind-of/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/john-updike-396_errors_when-you-look-into-a-mirror-it-is-not-yo_253663.png) > [I once did something right. I played first-rate basketball. I really did. And after you're first-rate at something, no matter what, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-once-did-something-right-i-played-first-rate-basketball-i-really/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1a/john-updike-396_basketball_i-once-did-something-right-i-played-firs_2222169.jpg) > [“I remember one English teacher in the eighth grade, Florence Schrack, whose husband also taught at the high school. I thought what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-remember-one-english-teacher-in-the-eighth-grade-florence-schrack/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/john-updike-396_blackboard_i-remember-one-english-teacher-in-the-ei_2521442.jpg) > [I write about, more or less, everything I can think of, that is I stretch my imagination as far as it'll go.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-write-about-more-or-less-everything-i-can-think-of-that-is-i/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/714/john-updike-396_i-can_i-write-about-more-or-less-everything-i_1337283.jpg) > [Literature gives us models of living human beings who may not agree with us and even be our enemies. D. H. Lawrence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/literature-gives-us-models-of-living-human-beings-who-may-not-agree/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/108/john-updike-396_agree_literature-gives-us-models-of-living-hum_3146861.png) > [One of the nice things about having a lover, it makes you think about everything anew. The rest of your life becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/one-of-the-nice-things-about-having-a-lover-it-makes-you-think-about/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c94/john-updike-396_flats_one-of-the-nice-things-about-having-a-lo_3065610.png) ## Other authors on Kind ## More by John Updike > [Life is a roller coaster, you have your ups and downs unless you fall off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/life-is-a-roller-coaster-you-have-your-ups-and-downs-unless-you-fall/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Children are not a zoo of entertainingly exotic creatures, but an array of mirrors in which the human predicament leaps out at us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/children-are-not-a-zoo-of-entertainingly-exotic-creatures-but-an/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I assume my stance, and take back the club, low, slowly; at the top, my eyes fog over, and my joints dip and swirl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-assume-my-stance-and-take-back-the-club-low-slowly-at-the-top-my/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The New England spirit does not seek solutions in a crowd; raw light and solitariness are less dreaded than welcomed as enhancers of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-new-england-spirit-does-not-seek-solutions-in-a-crowd-raw-light/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I imagine most of that stuff on the information highway is roadkill anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-imagine-most-of-that-stuff-on-the-information-highway-is-roadkill/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Families, doing everything for each other out of imagined obligation and always getting in each other's way, what a tangle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/families-doing-everything-for-each-other-out-of-imagined-obligation/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The fucking world is running out of gas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-fucking-world-is-running-out-of-gas/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The theme of old age doesn't seem to fascinate Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-theme-of-old-age-doesn-t-seem-to-fascinate-hollywood/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The mind cannot fall asleep as long as it watches itself. Only when the mind moves unwatched and becomes absorbed in images that tug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-mind-cannot-fall-asleep-as-long-as-it-watches-itself-only-when/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“it was somehow wonderful of her to be, in every detail, herself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/it-was-somehow-wonderful-of-her-to-be-in-every-detail-herself/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [In fiction, imaginary people become realer to us than any named celebrity glimpsed in a series of rumored events, whose causes and subtler ramifications…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/in-fiction-imaginary-people-become-realer-to-us-than-any-named/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Her hair had been going gray as long as he could remember; she bundled it behind in a bun held with hairpins that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/her-hair-had-been-going-gray-as-long-as-he-could-remember-she-bundled/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Possession diminishes perception of value, immediately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/possession-diminishes-perception-of-value-immediately/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I can't bear to finish things, beyond a certain point they get heavy. There's something so dead about a finished painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-can-t-bear-to-finish-things-beyond-a-certain-point-they-get-heavy/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Some people find fall depressing, others hate spring. I've always been a spring person myself. All that growth, you can feel Nature groaning, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/some-people-find-fall-depressing-others-hate-spring-i-ve-always-been/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/john-updike/#itemlist", "name": "18 Kind Quotes By John Updike", "numberOfItems": 18, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A cynic is a kind of romantic who has aged.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Updike" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/a-cynic-is-a-kind-of-romantic-who-has-aged/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/john-updike-396_aged_a-cynic-is-a-kind-of-romantic-who-has-ag_2902327.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/john-updike-396_aged_a-cynic-is-a-kind-of-romantic-who-has-ag_2902327.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/john-updike-396_aged_a-cynic-is-a-kind-of-romantic-who-has-ag_2902327.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A cynic is a kind of romantic who has aged.” — John Updike", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Fiction is in danger of becoming a kind of poetry. 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