Alas Quote by Theodore White
“I, alas, must present myself somewhat ignominiously as a chef in a busy kitchen. Somewhere a novel is bubbling on a back burner, an old attempt at history may come out of the freezer.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Making of a President 1960 by Theodore White, 1961
The speaker admits feeling inadequate while juggling multiple creative projects, likening himself to a chef overwhelmed in a busy kitchen.
In simple terms: Feeling out of depth in many roles.
Key Takeaway
Embrace humility and prioritize tasks.
Themes
humility
creativity
overwhelm
Mood
reflective
humorous
Type
personal
confessional
When to use this quote
- writing
- cooking
- historical research
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
identity
role conflict
multitasking
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you streamline your projects?
- Which role brings you the most fulfillment?
A Different Perspective
Balancing many pursuits can dilute focus and quality.
![“[ Lady Susan novel by Jane Austen is] extremely difficult to adapt. I worked on it for years, for, like, ten years, before I started showing it to people. This was my back-burner project.” quote by Whit Stillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/063/whit-stillman-16157_austen_lady-susan-novel-by-jane-austen-is-extre_2313217.jpg)
![“I think people felt like they did everything they had been told they should do to fix the problem, and it still wasn't fixed. Then you have these other parts of Sudan, [which] in actual fact have been left on the back burner for way too long, so there was this scramble, probably a year ago now, to…” quote by Rebecca Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e21/rebecca-hamilton-18346_agreement_i-think-people-felt-like-they-did-everyt_1753732.jpg)
