---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wrote about myself so I wouldn't become…"
description: "\"“I wrote about myself so I wouldn't become paralyzed by rumination—so I could stop thinking about what had happened and be done with it. More than that..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/sarah-manguso-11172_diary_i-wrote-about-myself-so-i-wouldn-t-becom_1946955.jpg"
---

#  I wrote about myself so I wouldn't become paralyzed by…

![“I wrote about myself so I wouldn't become paralyzed by rumination—so I could stop thinking about what had happened and be done with it. More than that, I wrote so I could say I was truly paying attention. Experience in itself wasn't enough. The diary was my defense against waking up at the end of…” quote by Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/sarah-manguso-11172_diary_i-wrote-about-myself-so-i-wouldn-t-becom_1946955.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/sarah-manguso-11172_diary_i-wrote-about-myself-so-i-wouldn-t-becom_1946955.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/sarah-manguso-11172_diary_i-wrote-about-myself-so-i-wouldn-t-becom_1946955.jpg)

> ““I wrote about myself so I wouldn't become paralyzed by rumination—so I could stop thinking about what had happened and be done with it. More than that, I wrote so I could say I was truly paying attention. Experience in itself wasn't enough. The diary was my defense against waking up at the end of my life and realizing I'd missed it.””

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Writing serves as a tool to prevent overthinking, to stay present, and to avoid missing life's moments.

**In simple terms:** Diary writing stops rumination and keeps focus.

Key Takeaway

Use journaling to stay present and attentive.

Themes

mindfulness writing self‑care

Mood

introspective calming

Type

psychological self‑help

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- creative writing workshops
- daily journaling
- stress management
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

psychology habit formation

Questions to Reflect On

- How does writing change your perception of events?
- Can journaling become a habit without feeling burdensome?

A Different Perspective

Writing may not replace deeper therapeutic work for some.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Diary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diary/) [Diary Defense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diary-defense-3136496/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Paralyzed Rumination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paralyzed-rumination-3136494/) [Paying Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying-attention/) [Rumination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rumination/) [Rumination Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rumination-stop-3136495/) [Wasn Diary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasn-diary-2880048/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [Experience in itself wasn’t enough. The diary was my defense against waking up at the end of my life and realizing I’d missed it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/experience-in-itself-wasn-t-enough-the-diary-was-my-defense-against/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [“If it was her diary, it would be wrong to open it. More wrong than leaving her dead in the hallway for the better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-omololu/if-it-was-her-diary-it-would-be-wrong-to-open-it-more-wrong-than/)

[C.J. Omololu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-omololu/)

> [“Today was very full, but the problem isn't today. It's tomorrow. I'd be able to recover from today if it weren't for tomorrow. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/today-was-very-full-but-the-problem-isn-t-today-it-s-tomorrow-i-d-be/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [“ The trouble was that I failed to record so much , I wrote, but how could I have believed that if I tried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/the-trouble-was-that-i-failed-to-record-so-much-i-wrote-but-how-could/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [ Here is the interesting twist:\[McLeod\] Campbell came to his views through reading Jonathan Edwards who suggested at one point in his ruminations on the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/here-is-the-interesting-twist-mcleod-campbell-came-to-his-views/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [It would be much better if I could only stop thinking. Thoughts are the dullest things. Duller than flesh. They stretch out and there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/it-would-be-much-better-if-i-could-only-stop-thinking-thoughts-are/)

[Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/)

> [“Issue #3: Non-Introspective Rumination and Focus on Losses”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/issue-3-non-introspective-rumination-and-focus-on-losses/)

[Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/)

> [“I have a memory like a baseball glove, so please, don’t toss me a basketball-sized rumination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-have-a-memory-like-a-baseball-glove-so-please-don-t-toss-me-a/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [ \[Macon Blair\] wrote a beautiful - once it was kicking off and we were gonna make the movie - he sent me this really… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elijah-wood/macon-blair-wrote-a-beautiful-once-it-was-kicking-off-and-we-were/)

[Elijah Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elijah-wood/)

> [“One of the most difficult things to remember is to remember to remember. We forget that we live in a body with senses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/one-of-the-most-difficult-things-to-remember-is-to-remember-to/)

[Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/)

> [I believe Fernand Point is one of the last true gourmands of the 20th century. His ruminations are extraordinary and thought-provoking. He has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-keller/i-believe-fernand-point-is-one-of-the-last-true-gourmands-of-the-20th/)

[Thomas Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-keller/)

> [It is possible that the malice of writers has been overrated (by myself among others). Reading their ruminations on their craft, one sees why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfrid-sheed/it-is-possible-that-the-malice-of-writers-has-been-overrated-by/)

[Wilfrid Sheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfrid-sheed/)

> [“... Join me with my rumination of the human you warned me of." -Abanir to Rabel”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-may-b-bandiola/join-me-with-my-rumination-of-the-human-you-warned-me-of-abanir-to/)

[Teresa May B. Bandiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-may-b-bandiola/)

> [“Sitting to think of what to write will only set your ass on fire, give you headache, twist your face to look stupid, instead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/sitting-to-think-of-what-to-write-will-only-set-your-ass-on-fire-give/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [I spend many months in apparently listless rumination out of which I hope something will emerge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-day-lewis/i-spend-many-months-in-apparently-listless-rumination-out-of-which-i/)

[Daniel Day-Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-day-lewis/)

## More by Sarah Manguso

> [I like people who possess either deep mastery or deep empathy, but not as much as I like those who possess both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/i-like-people-who-possess-either-deep-mastery-or-deep-empathy-but-not/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [The best thing about time passing is the privilege of running out of it, of watching the wave of mortality break over me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/the-best-thing-about-time-passing-is-the-privilege-of-running-out-of/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [“The trouble with comparing yourself to others is that there are too many others. Using all others as your control group, all your worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/the-trouble-with-comparing-yourself-to-others-is-that-there-are-too/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [“There will come a time when people decide you've had enough of your grief, and they'll try to take it away from you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/there-will-come-a-time-when-people-decide-you-ve-had-enough-of-your/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [“It’s impossible to fail if one doesn’t know how the end should look. And it’s impossible to succeed. But it’s possible to enjoy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/it-s-impossible-to-fail-if-one-doesn-t-know-how-the-end-should-look/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [“I tend to forget that my measurement of time is designed to distract me from what's really happening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/i-tend-to-forget-that-my-measurement-of-time-is-designed-to-distract/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [My existence shrank from an arrow of light pointing into the future forever to a speck of light that was the present moment. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/my-existence-shrank-from-an-arrow-of-light-pointing-into-the-future/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [“Whatever you're feeling, billions already have. Feel for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/whatever-you-re-feeling-billions-already-have-feel-for-them/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [“ My friend Isabel says, When you’re writing even a short novel, with at least a couple of subplots, and God only knows how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/my-friend-isabel-says-when-you-re-writing-even-a-short-novel-with-at/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [The only thing I've consistently been interested in in the last twenty-five years is writing very short texts. That continues to interest me as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/the-only-thing-i-ve-consistently-been-interested-in-in-the-last/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [“Like a vase, a heart breaks once. After that, it just yields to its flaws.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/like-a-vase-a-heart-breaks-once-after-that-it-just-yields-to-its-flaws/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [“Death will reveal what you otherwise would have finished. Also what you never would have finished. I found the notes for a book a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/death-will-reveal-what-you-otherwise-would-have-finished-also-what/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [Those who claim to write about something larger and more significant than the self sometimes fail to comprehend the dimensions of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/those-who-claim-to-write-about-something-larger-and-more-significant/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [Look at me, dancing my little dance for a few moments against the background of eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/look-at-me-dancing-my-little-dance-for-a-few-moments-against-the/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

> [Chair or no chair: a binary relation. But the vicissitudes of moving the body around are infinite. You never know what a person in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/chair-or-no-chair-a-binary-relation-but-the-vicissitudes-of-moving/)

[Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

[Explore all 61 Sarah Manguso quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/)

## More Diary quotes

> [I don't want to be singing my diary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-jones/i-don-t-want-to-be-singing-my-diary/)

[Norah Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-jones/)

> [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [“The platonic love I feel for my cousin, made me write this diary ...” Leione”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pet-torres/the-platonic-love-i-feel-for-my-cousin-made-me-write-this-diary-leione/)

[Pet Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pet-torres/)

> [“All right, you caught me. I'm secretly obsessed with you and spend all my free time writing about you in my journal. 'Dear Diary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-scott/all-right-you-caught-me-i-m-secretly-obsessed-with-you-and-spend-all/)

[Elizabeth Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-scott/)

> [I'm so open to different things. The only thing I'd say is I've set the bar pretty high in terms of good female roles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-powley/i-m-so-open-to-different-things-the-only-thing-i-d-say-is-i-ve-set/)

[Bel Powley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-powley/)

> ["The diary, "My diary. Little Ginny's been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes - how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-riddle/the-diary-my-diary-little-ginny-s-been-writing-in-it-for-months-and/)

[Tom Riddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-riddle/)

> [A man's diary is a record in youth of his sentiments, in middle age of his actions, in old age of his reflections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/a-man-s-diary-is-a-record-in-youth-of-his-sentiments-in-middle-age-of/)

[John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/)

> [I'm never without my personalised Anya Hindmarch diary - I keep my schedule online, too, but my diary is always in my bag. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerin-lauder/i-m-never-without-my-personalised-anya-hindmarch-diary-i-keep-my/)

[Aerin Lauder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerin-lauder/)

> [I keep a diary - one for each film and foreign land I travel to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/i-keep-a-diary-one-for-each-film-and-foreign-land-i-travel-to/)

[Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/)

> [Don't read my diary when I'm gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/don-t-read-my-diary-when-i-m-gone/)

[Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/)

> [I keep a diary because I love this writer, David Sedaris, and he writes a lot about his diary, and he inspired me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-hawke/i-keep-a-diary-because-i-love-this-writer-david-sedaris-and-he-writes/)

[Maya Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-hawke/)

> [Memory is the diary that chronicles things that never happened or couldn't possibly have happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/memory-is-the-diary-that-chronicles-things-that-never-happened-or/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“What will become of me? I do not know where am I going or what tomorrow will bring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-ne-berr/what-will-become-of-me-i-do-not-know-where-am-i-going-or-what/)

[Hélène Berr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-ne-berr/)

> [“I use my friends rather as giglamps : There's another field I see: by your light. Over there's a hill. I widen my landscape.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/i-use-my-friends-rather-as-giglamps-there-s-another-field-i-see-by/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [I need a moment of time for myself every day, like a child playing with his things. When I travel, I routinely find a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/i-need-a-moment-of-time-for-myself-every-day-like-a-child-playing/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

[Browse all 453 Diary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diary/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I wrote about myself so I wouldn't become paralyzed by rumination—so I could stop thinking about what had happened and be done with it. More than that, I wrote so I could say I was truly paying attention. Experience in itself wasn't enough. The diary was my defense against waking up at the end of my life and realizing I'd missed it.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sarah Manguso"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/i-wrote-about-myself-so-i-wouldn-t-become-paralyzed-by-rumination-so/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Diary"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/i-wrote-about-myself-so-i-wouldn-t-become-paralyzed-by-rumination-so/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/sarah-manguso-11172_diary_i-wrote-about-myself-so-i-wouldn-t-becom_1946955.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/sarah-manguso-11172_diary_i-wrote-about-myself-so-i-wouldn-t-becom_1946955.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/sarah-manguso-11172_diary_i-wrote-about-myself-so-i-wouldn-t-becom_1946955.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I wrote about myself so I wouldn't become paralyzed by rumination—so I could stop thinking about what had…” — Sarah Manguso",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Sarah Manguso",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I wrote about myself so I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/i-wrote-about-myself-so-i-wouldn-t-become-paralyzed-by-rumination-so/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/i-wrote-about-myself-so-i-wouldn-t-become-paralyzed-by-rumination-so/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```