--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would hear about other books that were…" description: "\"“I would hear about other books that were popular, and they just seemed like they made people depressed. Why would I pay to get depressed? I was alread..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf0/chessela-helm-17451_books_i-would-hear-about-other-books-that-were_1884536.jpg" --- # I would hear about other books that were popular, and they… ![“I would hear about other books that were popular, and they just seemed like they made people depressed. Why would I pay to get depressed? I was already depressed for free. I wanted to read things that made me laugh and forget about the world for a few hours.” quote by Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf0/chessela-helm-17451_books_i-would-hear-about-other-books-that-were_1884536.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf0/chessela-helm-17451_books_i-would-hear-about-other-books-that-were_1884536.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf0/chessela-helm-17451_books_i-would-hear-about-other-books-that-were_1884536.jpg) > ““I would hear about other books that were popular, and they just seemed like they made people depressed. Why would I pay to get depressed? I was already depressed for free. I wanted to read things that made me laugh and forget about the world for a few hours.”” [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often choose media that mirrors their mood; seeking joy can be a deliberate escape from sadness. **In simple terms:** Choose uplifting books to lift mood. Key Takeaway Read for joy, not sorrow. Themes media consumption mental health humor escape Mood lighthearted thoughtful Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - reading for relaxation - coping with depression - recommending books Key Concepts psychology of mood self‑care literary preferences Questions to Reflect On - What genre lifts your spirits? - How do you balance humor with confronting reality? A Different Perspective Humor may not solve underlying issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ## Related quotes > [To me, I don't write when I'm depressed. If I'm depressed, which is actually rare, I'm not doing anything, you know, and I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/to-me-i-don-t-write-when-i-m-depressed-if-i-m-depressed-which-is/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [“Way back when I was four, I became increasingly sickly and spiritless. My mother took me to the doctor, who poked and prodded and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alisa-smith/way-back-when-i-was-four-i-became-increasingly-sickly-and-spiritless/) Alisa Smith > [I eat cause I'm depressed and I'm depressed cause I eat XD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-eat-cause-i-m-depressed-and-i-m-depressed-cause-i-eat-xd/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Trust me, dear, I know depressed. Depressed sure have made me act like an ass, but it never split my face in two. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trust-me-dear-i-know-depressed-depressed-sure-have-made-me-act-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't beat yourself up over being depressed. Because then you're not only depressed, but you're also beating yourself up about it and only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-quinn/you-can-t-beat-yourself-up-over-being-depressed-because-then-you-re/) [Brian Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-quinn/) > [No reason to feel depressed about being depressed. A depression can be a golden opportunity to collect the pieces and build ourselves anew. Global…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-reason-to-feel-depressed-about-being-depressed-a-depression-can-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Depressed Although, my experience when I've been depressed, not only am I too depressed to sit down and write a song, I'm too depressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-westerberg/depressed-although-my-experience-when-i-ve-been-depressed-not-only-am/) [Paul Westerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-westerberg/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. Don't be hardheaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-williams-garcia/dear-delphine-when-you-are-older-i-want-you-to-find-chinua-achebe-i/) [Rita Williams-Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-williams-garcia/) > [“Stories wanted to be read, David's mother would whisper. They needed it. It was the reason they forced themselves from their world into ours.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/stories-wanted-to-be-read-david-s-mother-would-whisper-they-needed-it/) [John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/) > [“I'd had the idea, once, that if I could get the chance before I died I would read all the good books there were.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/i-d-had-the-idea-once-that-if-i-could-get-the-chance-before-i-died-i/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“willing the letters to rearrange themselves into words she wanted to read. “8:05”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-rogers/willing-the-letters-to-rearrange-themselves-into-words-she-wanted-to/) Amy Rogers > [People only become writers if they can't find the one book they've always wanted to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/people-only-become-writers-if-they-can-t-find-the-one-book-they-ve/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Well, since you're not going to do anything with me—can you at least read me a story? I'd settle for that. I wanted him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/well-since-you-re-not-going-to-do-anything-with-me-can-you-at-least/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [“When I saw "Ulysses" on Georgie's bedside table and Tom Finch's name written on it in a scrawl so like my old man's, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/when-i-saw-ulysses-on-georgie-s-bedside-table-and-tom-finch-s-name/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [I always wanted to read. I always thought I was going to be a historian. I would go to school and study history and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-always-wanted-to-read-i-always-thought-i-was-going-to-be-a/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## More by Chessela Helm > [“Thomas was the person who really brought out the best in her. And he cared about her for her own sake. It was her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/thomas-was-the-person-who-really-brought-out-the-best-in-her-and-he/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“He knew it was stupid to say he was falling in love with her. They had only known each other for a week. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/he-knew-it-was-stupid-to-say-he-was-falling-in-love-with-her-they-had/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“Now this is a feeling I could get used to. A beautiful girl draped across my thighs and a better high than any drug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/now-this-is-a-feeling-i-could-get-used-to-a-beautiful-girl-draped/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“What? I like flesh. I’m a werewolf. It’s not like I’m going to be a vegetarian.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/what-i-like-flesh-i-m-a-werewolf-it-s-not-like-i-m-going-to-be-a/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“We vampires are just so sick of misinformation. We’re not undead. We don’t have a problem with sunlight. Or garlic. Or silver and crosses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/we-vampires-are-just-so-sick-of-misinformation-we-re-not-undead-we/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“Are you going to count me on the census form?” “Sure. Ghost squatter, quantity of one. Sex male, race Caucasian, age dead. That’ll really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/are-you-going-to-count-me-on-the-census-form-sure-ghost-squatter/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“Death isn’t about endings, or beginnings, it’s about taking the next step on a long road to finding out what humanity really means. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/death-isn-t-about-endings-or-beginnings-it-s-about-taking-the-next/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“Love, he reminded himself. You love her madly. This was the madly part.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/love-he-reminded-himself-you-love-her-madly-this-was-the-madly-part/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“She considered telling him to speak less, but she thought it would be better to ease him into that preference. Wait until he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/she-considered-telling-him-to-speak-less-but-she-thought-it-would-be/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“I just went on a date with a loopy new age witch who read my aura and took me to a play that critiqued…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/i-just-went-on-a-date-with-a-loopy-new-age-witch-who-read-my-aura-and/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“Poor dearest. I suppose I better be a useful husband and figure out how to cheer you up. Why did the chicken cross the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/poor-dearest-i-suppose-i-better-be-a-useful-husband-and-figure-out/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“It had taken him a few months to figure out that they were right for each other, but now that conclusion seemed inarguable. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/it-had-taken-him-a-few-months-to-figure-out-that-they-were-right-for/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“She was apparently dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, all grown up. He certainly felt like the Big Bad Wolf looking at her. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/she-was-apparently-dressed-as-little-red-riding-hood-all-grown-up-he/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“What do you call Georgie?” Hideo asked Azkadek. “I haven’t called her anything other than her name,” Azkadek said, feeling a little lame. “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/what-do-you-call-georgie-hideo-asked-azkadek-i-haven-t-called-her/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [“It all seemed so incredibly unlikely. Girl buys house. Girl meets boy. Boy haunts house. Girl doesn’t know what the f\*\*\* to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/it-all-seemed-so-incredibly-unlikely-girl-buys-house-girl-meets-boy/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) [Explore all 37 Chessela Helm quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I would hear about other books that were popular, and they just seemed like they made people depressed. Why would I pay to get depressed? I was already depressed for free. 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