Affair Quote by T. S. Eliot
“I confess . . . that I am not myself very much concerned with the question of influence, or with those publicists who have impressed their names upon the public by catching the morning tide and rowing very vast in the direction in which the current was flowing; but rather that there should always be a few writers preoccupied in penetrating to the core of the matter, in trying to arrive at the truth and to set it forth, without too much hope, without ambition to alter the immediate course of affairs, and without being downcast or defeated when nothing appears to ensue.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Influence of the Poet" (1920)
Writers should seek truth and depth, not fame or influence, and remain resilient despite lack of immediate impact.
In simple terms: Writers aim for truth, not fame.
Key Takeaway
Write honestly, ignore fame.
Themes
truth
integrity
resilience
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic writing
- personal essays
- journalism
- creative writing
- public discourse
Key Concepts
Literary criticism
philosophy of art
Questions to Reflect On
- What truth are you willing to pursue despite criticism?
- How do you stay motivated without external validation?
A Different Perspective
Risk of isolation and limited audience.
![“My publicist told me that a magazine was going to say I was having a thing with either Sam Claflin or Bradley Cooper, and I got to choose. And I chose Bradley Cooper because I love Sam's fiancée so much. [Sam is] so sweet. So sweet that he's almost not hot anymore.” quote by Jennifer Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bdc/jennifer-lawrence-1354_hot_my-publicist-told-me-that-a-magazine-was_848015.jpg)
![“the ordinary man's experience is chaotic, irregular, fragmentary. [He] falls in love or reads Spinoza, and these two experiences have nothing to do with each other, or with the noise of the typewriter, or the smell of cooking; in the mind of the poet these experiences are always forming new wholes” quote by T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/18e/t-s-eliot-633_art_the-ordinary-man-s-experience-is-chaotic_93688.jpg)
