--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think if you spend much time dwelling…" description: "\"I think if you spend much time dwelling on influence you can get self-conscious about every line you write. That's a great way to freeze up.\" — Ben Fou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/ben-fountain-3198_conscious_i-think-if-you-spend-much-time-dwelling_835668.png" --- # I think if you spend much time dwelling on influence you… ![“I think if you spend much time dwelling on influence you can get self-conscious about every line you write. That's a great way to freeze up.” quote by Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/ben-fountain-3198_conscious_i-think-if-you-spend-much-time-dwelling_835668.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/ben-fountain-3198_conscious_i-think-if-you-spend-much-time-dwelling_835668.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/ben-fountain-3198_conscious_i-think-if-you-spend-much-time-dwelling_835668.png) > “I think if you spend much time dwelling on influence you can get self-conscious about every line you write. That's a great way to freeze up.” [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dwelling on influence leads to self‑consciousness and creative paralysis. **In simple terms:** Overthinking influence freezes writing. Key Takeaway Focus on process, not perception. Themes creativity self‑consciousness writing confidence Mood reflective motivational Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - public speaking - content creation - personal journaling Key Concepts psychology impostor syndrome performance anxiety Questions to Reflect On - How can you channel self‑consciousness into improvement? - What rituals reduce creative freeze? A Different Perspective Even awareness of influence can be harnessed positively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-conscious/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [We can build influence by self promotion, but God will only promote those who do not promote themselves. That which is built on self-promotion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-joyner/we-can-build-influence-by-self-promotion-but-god-will-only-promote/) [Rick Joyner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-joyner/) > [“You can be in your room and lead people. Just develop your potentials and publicize them and you will see people looking for your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-can-be-in-your-room-and-lead-people-just-develop-your-potentials/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [The pursuit of art is a delicate balance between influence and self-assertiveness. 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They want you to be happy. Your parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-lipsyte/one-of-my-big-revelations-was-that-nobody-cares-whether-you-write/) [Sam Lipsyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-lipsyte/) > [I'm still looking to write a great song… You always are. You know, you never think, 'Well, that's enough ... that's good enough.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/i-m-still-looking-to-write-a-great-song-you-always-are-you-know-you/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [It gives me a great pleasure to see my reader's reaction to whatever I write.. I can be a great writer... My lines may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aireen-pontillo/it-gives-me-a-great-pleasure-to-see-my-reader-s-reaction-to-whatever/) [Aireen Pontillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aireen-pontillo/) ## More by Ben Fountain > [“The singing triggers a soft detonation at his core, molten parts of him are flying everywhere and his ears ring to the tune of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/the-singing-triggers-a-soft-detonation-at-his-core-molten-parts-of/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“Even harder was describing his sense that Shroom’s death might have ruined him for anything else, because when he died? when I felt his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/even-harder-was-describing-his-sense-that-shroom-s-death-might-have/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“Without ever exactly putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is standard trajectory. 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I mean, I’d rather have nothing than let this guy use me like his bitch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/i-think-sometimes-nothing-is-better-than-something-i-mean-i-d-rather/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“No it was my choice. It's what I wanted to do. And I knew they'd probably send me to Iraq. It's not like anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/no-it-was-my-choice-it-s-what-i-wanted-to-do-and-i-knew-they-d/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [It's amazing what happens when you stick yourself in a place and let things take their more or less natural course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/it-s-amazing-what-happens-when-you-stick-yourself-in-a-place-and-let/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“As if sorrow is the true reality? Without ever putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is the standard trajectory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/as-if-sorrow-is-the-true-reality-without-ever-putting-his-mind-to-it/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [If you want to see a bunch of happy Americans, go out to opening day at any baseball stadium in the land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/if-you-want-to-see-a-bunch-of-happy-americans-go-out-to-opening-day/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [There was no such thing as perfection in this world, only moments of such extreme transparency that you forgot yourself, a holy mercy if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/there-was-no-such-thing-as-perfection-in-this-world-only-moments-of/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“He decides he wants both more and less. 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The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. 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Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability To lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/repugnant-is-a-creature-who-would-squander-the-ability-to-lift-an-eye/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [The goal of the Creator is for each entity to make a conscious choice to again seek Oneness, out of our own free will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wilcock/the-goal-of-the-creator-is-for-each-entity-to-make-a-conscious-choice/) [David Wilcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wilcock/) > [I know one thing: that you can do a lot of things but if you don't educate people into conscious anarchism it gets frittered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/i-know-one-thing-that-you-can-do-a-lot-of-things-but-if-you-don-t/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [All black people who are even minimally conscious, black people who have ever experienced Europe's technological power crusading in the vanguard of a civilizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-nkosi/all-black-people-who-are-even-minimally-conscious-black-people-who/) [Lewis Nkosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-nkosi/) > [ A mind conscious of right laughs at the falsehoods of rumour. \[Lat., Conscia mens recti famae mendacia risit.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/a-mind-conscious-of-right-laughs-at-the-falsehoods-of-rumour-lat/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [I don't think my paintings are self-conscious but you feel the consciousness of them. Without them being self-conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-don-t-think-my-paintings-are-self-conscious-but-you-feel-the/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) Browse all 3,716 Conscious quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think if you spend much time dwelling on influence you can get self-conscious about every line you write. 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