“the true solitary does not seek himself, but loses himself.” — Michael Finkel Loses Copy Share Image
“He never bothered listening to sports; the bored him, every one of them.” — Michael Finkel Sports Copy Share Image
America might be the land of second chances, but it ain't the land of third chances. — Michael Finkel America Copy Share Image
I never do formal interviews. I don't use a tape recorder. I take notes but occasionally. — Michael Finkel Interview Copy Share Image
Not to get too maudlin, but I think all mistakes are tests for one's mettle. — Michael Finkel Failure Copy Share Image
I'd lied many times: to bolster my credentials, to elicit sympathy, to make myself appear less ordinary. — Michael Finkel Less Copy Share Image
My fight-or-flight mechanism... had served me well in Gaza, in Afghanistan, and all the places I'd been. — Michael Finkel Afghanistan Copy Share Image
I think many people have this sense that something about modern society - the screens, the noise, the traffic, the constant busyness… — Michael Finkel Living Copy Share Image
There have always been hermits: people who want to get away from other humans. Literally, some of the first extant books and… — Michael Finkel Alone Copy Share Image
“He has seen the bottomless nonsense of our world and has decided, like most of us, to simply try to tolerate it.… — Michael Finkel Rational Copy Share Image
“The American essayist William Deresiewicz wrote that “no real excellence, personal or social, artistic, philosophical, scientific, or moral, can arise without solitude.” — Michael Finkel Essayist Copy Share Image
“The first great literary work about solitude, the Tao Te Ching, was written in ancient China, likely in the sixth century B.C.,… — Michael Finkel Solitude Copy Share Image
“There was no one to complain to in the woods, so I did not complain,' Knight said.” — Michael Finkel Solitude Copy Share Image
“The world is a confusing place, meaningful and meaningless at once.” — Michael Finkel Meaningless Copy Share Image
“And what about a text message? Isn't that just using a telephone as a telegraph?” — Michael Finkel Text message Copy Share Image
“Not till we have lost the world,” wrote Thoreau, “do we begin to find ourselves.” — Michael Finkel Copy Share Image
You can read my stuff; there are not very many quotes. It's more impressionistic. — Michael Finkel Many Copy Share Image
I committed pretty much the worst thing you can do, which is defraud the readers. — Michael Finkel Books Copy Share Image
I always fancied myself an outdoorsman, even though I'm a Jewish guy from the East Coast. — Michael Finkel Always Copy Share Image
I am guaranteeing you that if you see my byline on a story, it's going to be the cleanest story you've ever… — Michael Finkel Going Copy Share Image
The so-called modern conveniences may, in fact, be extremely inconvenient - everything seems to exist as a distraction from any sort of… — Michael Finkel Distraction Copy Share Image
“Even Henry David Thoreau, not known for kvetching, wrote in The Maine Woods that he was “seriously molested” by bugs.” — Michael Finkel David thoreau Copy Share Image
I spent 12 years traveling more than six months a year. I really needed to see the world. — Michael Finkel More Copy Share Image
“Herman Melville, the author of Moby-Dick, largely withdrew from public life for thirty years. “All profound things,” he wrote, “are preceded and… — Michael Finkel Books Copy Share Image
“Christopher Knight, you could argue, is the most solitary known person in all of human history.” — Michael Finkel History Copy Share Image
“He’s a genius with my Prius,” says the co-owner of Left Bank Books, the town’s independent bookstore. The” — Michael Finkel Writer Copy Share Image
“Tao Te Ching says that it is only through retreat rather than pursuit, through inaction rather than action, that we acquire wisdom.… — Michael Finkel Thousand years Copy Share Image
“When he hears how songs are now shared and downloaded, Knight is equally unimpressed. "You're using your computers, your thousand-dollar machines, to… — Michael Finkel Computers Copy Share Image
In my writing, I try to combine all my favorite elements of journalism - accuracy, real characters that exist on this planet… — Michael Finkel Books Copy Share Image
“If you have low levels of the pituitary peptide oxytocin—sometimes called the master chemical of sociability—and high quantities of the hormone vasopressin,… — Michael Finkel Hormone Copy Share Image
“Asperger felt that autistic people could have beneficial talents, especially what he called a “particular originality of thought” that was often beautiful… — Michael Finkel Creativity Copy Share Image
Perhaps one could say I've worked in South Africa too long, but I believe in forgiveness, especially when a person admits a… — Michael Finkel Believe Copy Share Image
I think that it's human nature to categorize and label things. That's generally the way that the medical and psychological professions work.… — Michael Finkel Human nature Copy Share Image
“I have only in my life carried to an extreme what you have not dared to carry halfway, and what’s more, you… — Michael Finkel Cowardice Copy Share Image
