El salvador Quote by Jeffrey Eugenides
““What were he and his friends doing, really, other than hanging from a branch, sticking their tongues out to catch the sweetness? He thought about the people he knew, with their excellent young bodies, their summerhouses, their cool clothes, their potent drugs, their liberalism, their orgasms, their haircuts. Everything they did was either pleasurable in itself or engineered to bring pleasure down the line. Even the people he knew who were "political" and who protested the war in El Salvador did so largely in order to bathe themselves in an attractively crusading light. And the artists were the worst, the painters and the writers, because they believed they were living for art when they were really feeding their narcissism. Mitchell had always prided himself on his discipline. He studied harder than anyone he knew. But that was just his way of tightening his grip on the branch.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Marriage Plot, 2011
People chase pleasure or status, often using art or activism as masks for self‑indulgence, while discipline can become a control mechanism.
In simple terms: Pleasure and status drive behavior; discipline may hide selfish motives.
Key Takeaway
Question motives behind actions.
Themes
pleasure
status
art
activism
discipline
selfishness
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- career choices
- creative pursuits
- political activism
- personal self‑reflection
- relationship dynamics
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
culture
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives your pursuits?
- How do you differentiate genuine art from narcissism?
A Different Perspective
Discipline can become an ego‑shield rather than growth.
![“Tuesday, March 3 [Meetings with economist Arthur Burns regarding China, and with President Ford on economy; message from Pope John Paul II expressing general greetings; VFW reception for Senator Laxalt (R-NV); dinner party.] During day I did a 1 hr. interview with Walter Cronkite—his last for CBS…” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dd1/ronald-reagan-119_dinner-party_tuesday-march-3-meetings-with-economist_165823.jpg)
