Every day Quote by Dave Eggers
““I will tell these stories...because to do anything else would be something less than human. I speak to these people, and I speak to you because I cannot help it. It gives me strength, almost unbelievable strength, to know that you are there. I covet your eyes, your ears, the collapsible space between us. How blessed are we to have each other? I am alive and you are alive so we must fill the air with our words. I will fill today, tomorrow, every day until I am taken back to God. I will tell stories to people who will listen and to people who don't want to listen, to people who seek me out and to those who run. All the while I will know that you are there. How can I pretend that you do not exist? It would be almost as impossible as you pretending that I do not exist.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Commencement Address, University of Michigan, 2015
Storytelling is a fundamental human act that connects us, gives strength, and affirms existence; we must speak and listen despite resistance.
In simple terms: Stories connect people, give strength, and affirm life; we must keep speaking.
Key Takeaway
Speak and listen to sustain human connection.
Themes
human connection
storytelling
existence
strength
Mood
hopeful
determined
empathetic
Type
motivational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- public speaking
- personal relationships
- community building
- overcoming isolation
Key Concepts
psychology
communication
humanism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you keep telling stories when unheard?
- What does listening do for your own sense of being?
A Different Perspective
Some may reject stories, limiting impact.
