--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that writers, unless they…" description: "\"I believe that writers, unless they consider themselves terribly exquisite, are at heart people who live by night, a little bit outside society, moving..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/guillermo-cabrera-infante-1238_believe_i-believe-that-writers-unless-they-consi_2076426.jpg" --- # I believe that writers, unless they consider themselves… ![“I believe that writers, unless they consider themselves terribly exquisite, are at heart people who live by night, a little bit outside society, moving between delinquency and conformity” quote by Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/guillermo-cabrera-infante-1238_believe_i-believe-that-writers-unless-they-consi_2076426.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/guillermo-cabrera-infante-1238_believe_i-believe-that-writers-unless-they-consi_2076426.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/guillermo-cabrera-infante-1238_believe_i-believe-that-writers-unless-they-consi_2076426.jpg) > “I believe that writers, unless they consider themselves terribly exquisite, are at heart people who live by night, a little bit outside society, moving between delinquency and conformity” [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers often feel like nocturnal outsiders, balancing between rebellion and conformity. **In simple terms:** Writers are night‑time outsiders straddling rebellion and conformity. Key Takeaway Recognize and channel your outsider perspective. Themes identity creativity society Mood introspective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing retreats - late‑night brainstorming - solo projects - alternative publishing Key Concepts Literature nighttime metaphor social marginality Questions to Reflect On - Do you thrive in solitude or community? - How does night‑time metaphor shape your work? A Different Perspective May romanticize isolation, ignoring collaborative benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/) [Delinquency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delinquency/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Sentences spoken by writers, unless they have been written out first, rarely say what writers wish to say. 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That's where I tend to be drawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-harris/i-like-the-idea-of-playing-people-outside-of-society-that-s-where-i/) [Sean Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-harris/) > [“Were all people who tried to help doomed to live outside society because others didn't understand them?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-bohnhoff/were-all-people-who-tried-to-help-doomed-to-live-outside-society/) Jennifer Bohnhoff > [Democracy cannot be imposed on any nation from the outside. Each society must search for its own path, and no path is perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/democracy-cannot-be-imposed-on-any-nation-from-the-outside-each/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I'm attracted to stories about people who feel themselves outside of society, kind of start out with a longing to be part of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/i-m-attracted-to-stories-about-people-who-feel-themselves-outside-of/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [Jealousy is a human emotion, regardless of whether you're a Branch Davidian or you're whomever, outside in society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-benoist/jealousy-is-a-human-emotion-regardless-of-whether-you-re-a-branch/) [Melissa Benoist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-benoist/) > [Outside of society, if you're looking that's where you'll find me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/outside-of-society-if-you-re-looking-that-s-where-you-ll-find-me/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [The revolutionary and critical thinker is in a certain way always outside of his society while of course he is at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-revolutionary-and-critical-thinker-is-in-a-certain-way-always/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [China is completely lacking in self-awareness and as someone who has stepped outside that society, I have a responsibility to write about it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-jian/china-is-completely-lacking-in-self-awareness-and-as-someone-who-has/) [Ma Jian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-jian/) > [I am still attracted to stories about people who are considered to be on the outside of society. I still seek inspiration from those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-nair/i-am-still-attracted-to-stories-about-people-who-are-considered-to-be/) [Mira Nair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-nair/) > [The writer is the person who stands outside society, independent of affiliation and independent of influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-writer-is-the-person-who-stands-outside-society-independent-of/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“For a better part of a decade, he had been outside society, distanced in mind and spirit if not in body. But now, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/for-a-better-part-of-a-decade-he-had-been-outside-society-distanced/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Instead of being a gift that separates us from the animals, free will has become my gaoler. Junkies are the ultimate outsider, not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-gates/instead-of-being-a-gift-that-separates-us-from-the-animals-free-will/) Drew Gates > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) ## More by Guillermo Cabrera Infante > [Watching a movie from beginning to end is like reading, because even though what you see are images, they are telling you a story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/watching-a-movie-from-beginning-to-end-is-like-reading-because-even/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [I read the Odyssey because it was the story of a man who returned home after being absent for more than twenty years and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/i-read-the-odyssey-because-it-was-the-story-of-a-man-who-returned/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [Dialogue in fiction is always written to be read in silence. The page is the limit. Dialogue on stage and on the screen is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/dialogue-in-fiction-is-always-written-to-be-read-in-silence-the-page/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [I am a writer of fragments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/i-am-a-writer-of-fragments/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [No, absolutely not, writing doesn't have to be like a jigsaw puzzle, it can be a very linear undertaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/no-absolutely-not-writing-doesn-t-have-to-be-like-a-jigsaw-puzzle-it/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [Well, I write in exile because I cannot return to my country, so I have no choice but to see myself as an exiled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/well-i-write-in-exile-because-i-cannot-return-to-my-country-so-i-have/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [For me, literature is a complex game, both mental and concrete, which is acted out in a physical manner on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/for-me-literature-is-a-complex-game-both-mental-and-concrete-which-is/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [I know that many writers have had to write under censorship and yet produced good novels; for instance, Cervantes wrote Don Quixote under Catholic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/i-know-that-many-writers-have-had-to-write-under-censorship-and-yet/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [I do not consider myself a Hispanic writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/i-do-not-consider-myself-a-hispanic-writer/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [The relationship between reader and characters is very difficult. It is even more peculiar than the relationship between the writer and his characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/the-relationship-between-reader-and-characters-is-very-difficult-it/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [I think writers rush in where everybody is very frightened to tread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/i-think-writers-rush-in-where-everybody-is-very-frightened-to-tread/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [I was never a true journalist, I was a movie critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/i-was-never-a-true-journalist-i-was-a-movie-critic/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [A good smoker, like a good lover, always takes his time with a cigar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/a-good-smoker-like-a-good-lover-always-takes-his-time-with-a-cigar/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [I do not believe in inspiration, but I must have a title in order to work, otherwise I am lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/i-do-not-believe-in-inspiration-but-i-must-have-a-title-in-order-to/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [You are just in the middle of a struggle with words which are really very stubborn things, with a blank page, with the damn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/you-are-just-in-the-middle-of-a-struggle-with-words-which-are-really/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) [Explore all 54 Guillermo Cabrera Infante quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. 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