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Saying yes Quote by Dave Eggers

“What matters is that you do good work. What matters is that you produce things that are true and will stand. What matters is that the Flaming Lips’s new album is ravishing and I’ve listened to it a thousand times already, sometimes for days on end, and it enriches me and makes me want to save…” quote by Dave Eggers
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““What matters is that you do good work. What matters is that you produce things that are true and will stand. What matters is that the Flaming Lips’s new album is ravishing and I’ve listened to it a thousand times already, sometimes for days on end, and it enriches me and makes me want to save people. What matters is that it will stand forever, long after any narrow-hearted curmudgeons have forgotten their appearance on goddamn 90210. What matters is not the perception, nor the fashion, not who’s up and who’s down, but what someone has done and if they meant it. What matters is that you want to see and make and do, on as grand a scale as you want, regardless of what the tiny voices of tiny people say. Do not be critics, you people, I beg you. I was a critic and I wish I could take it all back because it came from a smelly and ignorant place in me, and spoke with a voice that was all rage and envy. Do not dismiss a book until you have written one, and do not dismiss a movie until you have made one, and do not dismiss a person until you have met them. It is a fuckload of work to be open-minded and generous and understanding and forgiving and accepting, but Christ, that is what matters. What matters is saying yes.””

Dave Eggers

About This Quote

Source Interview: Literary discussion, unknown source

The passage argues that true value lies in genuine, lasting work and open-mindedness, not fleeting opinions.

In simple terms: Create lasting, sincere work and stay open.

Key Takeaway

Focus on meaningful creation.

Themes

creativity authenticity legacy

Mood

philosophical inspirational

Type

artistic ethical

When to use this quote

  • writing
  • music production
  • film making
  • personal relationships

Key Concepts

artistic integrity humility

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does “saying yes” mean for you?
  • How can you balance ambition with humility?
A Different Perspective

Risk of neglecting practical constraints.

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