--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only excuse a man has for writing is…" description: "\"“The only excuse a man has for writing is that he express himself, that he reveal to others the kind of world reflected in the mirror of his soul; his ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/remy-de-gourmont-7554_writing_the-only-excuse-a-man-has-for-writing-is_1880114.jpg" --- # The only excuse a man has for writing is that he express… ![“The only excuse a man has for writing is that he express himself, that he reveal to others the kind of world reflected in the mirror of his soul; his only excuse is that he be original.” quote by Remy de Gourmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/remy-de-gourmont-7554_writing_the-only-excuse-a-man-has-for-writing-is_1880114.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/remy-de-gourmont-7554_writing_the-only-excuse-a-man-has-for-writing-is_1880114.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/remy-de-gourmont-7554_writing_the-only-excuse-a-man-has-for-writing-is_1880114.jpg) > ““The only excuse a man has for writing is that he express himself, that he reveal to others the kind of world reflected in the mirror of his soul; his only excuse is that he be original.”” [Remy de Gourmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/remy-de-gourmont/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing exists to express oneself and reveal one's inner world; originality is the sole justification for the act. **In simple terms:** Writing is self‑expression and a mirror of the soul; originality matters. Key Takeaway Write to reveal your inner world. Themes self‑expression originality creativity authenticity Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - novelists - journalists - bloggers - poets Key Concepts existentialism literary theory Questions to Reflect On - What does originality mean to you? - How does self‑expression shape identity? A Different Perspective Originality can be subjective and hard to measure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Oh how the world reflected you in its unending streams of atoms, churning atoms out of which significance beamed--significance, but not purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-millet/oh-how-the-world-reflected-you-in-its-unending-streams-of-atoms/) [Lydia Millet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-millet/) > [Humans had built a world inside the world, which reflected it in pretty much the same way as a drop of water reflected the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/humans-had-built-a-world-inside-the-world-which-reflected-it-in/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Outside of hip-hop, it was in comics that I most often found the aesthetics and wisdom of my world reflected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/outside-of-hip-hop-it-was-in-comics-that-i-most-often-found-the/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [It's more interesting to be out in the world. than to see it reflected in the mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lopez/it-s-more-interesting-to-be-out-in-the-world-than-to-see-it-reflected/) [Steve Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lopez/) > [Kids need to see their world reflected back to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-myracle/kids-need-to-see-their-world-reflected-back-to-them/) [Lauren Myracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-myracle/) > [“His eyeless skull took in the line of costumes, the waxy debris of the makeup table. 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