--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reasons for not keeping a notebook: 1)…" description: "\"Reasons for not keeping a notebook: 1) the ambiguity of the reader--it is never quite oneself. 2) I usually hate the sight of my handwriting--it lives ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15b/lionel-trilling-12210_ambiguity_reasons-for-not-keeping-a-notebook-1-the_2027923.png" --- # Reasons for not keeping a notebook: 1) the ambiguity of… ![“Reasons for not keeping a notebook: 1) the ambiguity of the reader--it is never quite oneself. 2) I usually hate the sight of my handwriting--it lives too much and I dislike its life--I mean by "lives," of course, betrays too much!” quote by Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15b/lionel-trilling-12210_ambiguity_reasons-for-not-keeping-a-notebook-1-the_2027923.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15b/lionel-trilling-12210_ambiguity_reasons-for-not-keeping-a-notebook-1-the_2027923.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15b/lionel-trilling-12210_ambiguity_reasons-for-not-keeping-a-notebook-1-the_2027923.png) > “Reasons for not keeping a notebook: 1) the ambiguity of the reader--it is never quite oneself. 2) I usually hate the sight of my handwriting--it lives too much and I dislike its life--I mean by "lives," of course, betrays too much!” [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Keeping a notebook is problematic because the writer’s self is ambiguous and handwriting feels too alive, revealing too much personal truth. **In simple terms:** Notebooks expose too much personal truth. Key Takeaway Use alternative methods to capture ideas. Themes writing self‑reflection creativity identity privacy expression Mood reflective analytical practical Type creative psychological When to use this quote - journaling workshops - digital note‑taking - creative writing classes - personal therapy sessions Key Concepts subjectivity authenticity self‑censorship Questions to Reflect On - How does handwriting affect idea retention? - Can anonymity improve honest expression? A Different Perspective The view may ignore benefits of handwritten reflection for memory and emotional processing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambiguity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Diaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diaries/) [Handwriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handwriting/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Never quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-quit/) [Notebook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notebook/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [Reasons for not keeping a notebook: 1) the ambiguity of the reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/reasons-for-not-keeping-a-notebook-1-the-ambiguity-of-the-reader/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [If life is envisioned as a continuously running motion picture, the keeping of a notebook stops the action and allows a meaningful scene to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-coudert/if-life-is-envisioned-as-a-continuously-running-motion-picture-the/) [Jo Coudert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-coudert/) > [There are many reasons for keeping a diary: to make a note of facts that one considers important; to open one's heart, to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-moravia/there-are-many-reasons-for-keeping-a-diary-to-make-a-note-of-facts/) [Alberto Moravia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-moravia/) > [I understand the reasons behind his keeping a distance from a girl he cares about. Because the truth is, sometimes getting close to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/i-understand-the-reasons-behind-his-keeping-a-distance-from-a-girl-he/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [At some point, sitting in the school library, during reading period, I looked up from my leopard print hardcover composition notebook where I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/at-some-point-sitting-in-the-school-library-during-reading-period-i/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [I was filling entire school notebooks with stories by Grade 3. Of course, they were double-spaced, and the handwriting was huge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linwood-barclay/i-was-filling-entire-school-notebooks-with-stories-by-grade-3-of/) [Linwood Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linwood-barclay/) > [And my father left me a legacy of his handwriting through letters and a notebook. In the last two years of his life, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lakshmi-pratury/and-my-father-left-me-a-legacy-of-his-handwriting-through-letters-and/) [Lakshmi Pratury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lakshmi-pratury/) > [“So the point of my keeping a notebook has never been, nor is it now, to have an accurate factual record of what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/so-the-point-of-my-keeping-a-notebook-has-never-been-nor-is-it-now-to/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“You will be back by then Ellen, wont you? I'm keeping this notebook safe for you because I want to believe you'll read it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-mac-a-bhaird/you-will-be-back-by-then-ellen-wont-you-i-m-keeping-this-notebook/) Natasha Mac a'Bhaird > [ “\[from "On Keeping a Notebook"\]: It is a good idea to keep in touch, and I suppose that keeping in touch is what notebooks… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/from-on-keeping-a-notebook-it-is-a-good-idea-to-keep-in-touch-and-i/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [You can't compartmentalise everything but the more you do that the easier it is. Keeping a notebook is a good way of dealing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-strauss/you-can-t-compartmentalise-everything-but-the-more-you-do-that-the/) [Andrew Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-strauss/) > [Somehow I started introducing writing into my drawings, and after a time, the language took over and I started getting very involved with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/somehow-i-started-introducing-writing-into-my-drawings-and-after-a/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [I just believed in 1979 that prog rock was finished. I just saw the handwriting on the wall. And I believed that if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-deyoung/i-just-believed-in-1979-that-prog-rock-was-finished-i-just-saw-the/) [Dennis DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-deyoung/) > [“Handwriting enables civilization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/handwriting-enables-civilization/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [It is a good practice to write at least on page of mantra daily. Many people get better concentration by writing than by chanting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/it-is-a-good-practice-to-write-at-least-on-page-of-mantra-daily-many/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) ## More by Lionel Trilling > [Our culture peculiarly honors the act of blaming, which it takes as the sign of virtue and intellect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/our-culture-peculiarly-honors-the-act-of-blaming-which-it-takes-as/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [The definitions of humanism are many, but let us here take it to be the attitude of those men who think it an advantage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/the-definitions-of-humanism-are-many-but-let-us-here-take-it-to-be/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [Literature is the human activity that make the fullest and most precise account of variousness, possibility, complexity, and difficulty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/literature-is-the-human-activity-that-make-the-fullest-and-most/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [A primary function of art andthought is to liberate the individual from the tyranny of his culture in the environmental sense and to permit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/a-primary-function-of-art-andthought-is-to-liberate-the-individual/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [Being a Jew is like walking in the wind or swimming: you are touched at all points and conscious everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/being-a-jew-is-like-walking-in-the-wind-or-swimming-you-are-touched/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [It is possible that the contemplation of cruelty will not make us humane but cruel; that the reiteration of the badness of our spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/it-is-possible-that-the-contemplation-of-cruelty-will-not-make-us/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [Every neurosis is a primitive form of legal proceeding in which the accused carries on the prosecution, imposes judgment and executes the sentence: all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/every-neurosis-is-a-primitive-form-of-legal-proceeding-in-which-the/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [Some paradox of our natures leads us, when once we have made our fellow men the objects of our enlightened interest, to go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/some-paradox-of-our-natures-leads-us-when-once-we-have-made-our/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [In the American Metaphysical, reality is always material reality, hard, resistant, unformed, impenetrable, and unpleasant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/in-the-american-metaphysical-reality-is-always-material-reality-hard/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [“...perhaps we have never been more than vocal and perhaps soon we can hope to be no more than thoughtful...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/perhaps-we-have-never-been-more-than-vocal-and-perhaps-soon-we-can/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [It is now life and not art that requires the willing suspension of disbelief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/it-is-now-life-and-not-art-that-requires-the-willing-suspension-of/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [Ideology is not the product of thought; it is the habit or the ritual of showing respect for certain formulas to which, for various…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/ideology-is-not-the-product-of-thought-it-is-the-habit-or-the-ritual/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [There is no connection between the political ideas of our educated class and the deep places of the imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/there-is-no-connection-between-the-political-ideas-of-our-educated/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [The function of literature, through all its mutations, has been to make us aware of the particularity of selves, and the high authority of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/the-function-of-literature-through-all-its-mutations-has-been-to-make/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [Unless we insist that politics is imagination and mind, we will learn that imagination and mind are politics, and of a kind we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/unless-we-insist-that-politics-is-imagination-and-mind-we-will-learn/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) [Explore all 56 Lionel Trilling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) ## More Ambiguity quotes > [The position is clear - there is no ambiguity in Sinn Fein's position. We, along with all the other parties, have signed up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/the-position-is-clear-there-is-no-ambiguity-in-sinn-fein-s-position/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) > [Ambiguity is necessary in some of my stories, not in all. In those, it certainly contributes to the richness of the story. I doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/ambiguity-is-necessary-in-some-of-my-stories-not-in-all-in-those-it/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/during-the-cold-war-we-lived-in-coded-times-when-it-wasn-t-easy-and/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [You cannot grow in the integrative dance of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-grow-in-the-integrative-dance-of-action-and-contemplation/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [I blame my grandfather 100 percent for his oldest son's death. I don't think there's any ambiguity there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/i-blame-my-grandfather-100-percent-for-his-oldest-son-s-death-i-don-t/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [I think the relationship between social-dominance orientation in people and the extent to which they're made uncomfortable by ambiguity and novelty is really important.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-think-the-relationship-between-social-dominance-orientation-in/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Yet again, an ancient answer echoes across the centuries: Listen! Listen to stories! For what stories do, above all else, is hold up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-kurtz/yet-again-an-ancient-answer-echoes-across-the-centuries-listen-listen/) [Ernest Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-kurtz/) > [My path to wisdom began when I stopped pretending to know things I didn't know. When I explicitly admitted to the limits of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/my-path-to-wisdom-began-when-i-stopped-pretending-to-know-things-i/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [If there is a single tragic flaw that mars our biggest enterprises, it is conservatism - the failure to fail, and fail big, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-there-is-a-single-tragic-flaw-that-mars-our-biggest-enterprises-it/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [In order to be as free as I possibly can, in my own imagination, I can't take positions that are closed. 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