Business Quote by Paul Auster
““...cannot possibly know who you are, you imagine that she is suspicious of all young people-as a matter of principle- and therefore what she sees when she looks at you is not you as yourself but you as yet one more querrilla fighter in the war against authority, an unruly insurrectionist who has no business barging into the sanctum of her library and asking for work. Such are the times you live in,the times you both live in. She instructs you to put the cards in order, and you can sense how deeply she wants you to fail, how happy it will make her to reject your application, and because you want the job just as much as she doesn't want you to have it, you make sure that you don't fail.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Book of Illusions, Paul Auster, 2002
A narrator feels judged and manipulated by a gatekeeper who wants them to fail, reflecting power dynamics in job seeking.
In simple terms: Feeling judged and manipulated in a job interview.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and navigate power imbalances.
Themes
power
manipulation
job search
Mood
anxious
determined
Type
motivational
reflective
When to use this quote
- interview prep
- career advancement
- standing up to bias
- strategic self-presentation
Key Concepts
authority
psychology
resilience
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you respond to perceived sabotage?
- What strategies can protect you from unfair judgment?
A Different Perspective
The gatekeeper’s bias may be unconscious, not purely hostile.
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![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)