Life Quote by Quentin S. Crisp
““To find something truly alive these days is in itself almost shocking—as shocking as a living doll.””
About This Quote
Source Short story collection, 2018
Finding authenticity feels rare and startling, akin to discovering a lifelike doll amidst artificiality.
In simple terms: Authenticity is shocking in a synthetic world.
Key Takeaway
Seek genuine experiences.
Themes
authenticity
modern alienation
surrealism
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- urban life
- digital culture
- personal relationships
Key Concepts
existential search
artistic metaphor
Questions to Reflect On
- What moments feel truly alive to you?
- How do you differentiate genuine from artificial?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize rarity, ignoring everyday authenticity.
![“If we do want to do that [ colonise space to survive, ], then vacuous materialism is not going to be enough for us.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8c5/quentin-s-crisp-4149_enough_if-we-do-want-to-do-that-colonise-space_40648.jpg)
![“This is the strange thing about existing in time. As [Philip] Larkin puts it, "truly, though our element is time, we are not used to the strange perspectives open at each moment of our lives" - something like that.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/351/quentin-s-crisp-4149_elements_this-is-the-strange-thing-about-existing_83503.jpg)
![“[william] Burroughs, incidentally, took up the slogan that we are "Here to go", which contradicts the tendency in Eastern mysticism to advocate staying where you are because there's nowhere to go anyway. I feel conflicted on this one.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa0/quentin-s-crisp-4149_burroughs_william-burroughs-incidentally-took-up-t_122911.jpg)
![“I also remember a line from a song by Smog [Bill Callahan], which seems to describe the experience of a town-dweller moving to the country: "I was raised in a pit of snakes/Blink your eyes - I was raised on cake."” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/950/quentin-s-crisp-4149_bills_i-also-remember-a-line-from-a-song-by-sm_299534.jpg)
