Anxiety Quote by Tom Robbins
“Sometimes, though, I feel that pushing books is a whole lot like pushing medicine. Think of books as pills. I have pills that cure ignorance and pills that cure boredom. I have pills to elevate moods and pills to open people's eyes to the awful truth: uppers and downers as they were. I sell pills to help people find themselves and pills to help them lose themselves when they require escape from the pressures and anxieties of life in a complex society...”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, 1979
Books are likened to medicine, offering cures for ignorance, boredom, mood, and perception, serving both self‑discovery and escapism.
In simple terms: Books act like pills for mind and mood.
Key Takeaway
Use reading to heal or escape as needed.
Themes
literature
psychology
escape
self‑discovery
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- stress relief
- personal growth
- entertainment
- education
Key Concepts
metaphor
catharsis
cognitive therapy
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you choose a book for healing versus escape?
- What risks arise from using fiction as a coping tool?
A Different Perspective
Reading may not replace professional help for deep issues.
![“I got tired and embarrassed by the constant poverty of those years. I told Doug [ Brinkley] this is really going to be a horrible downer of a book [The Proud Highway] if all it's going to be is about being broke. I didn't like being reminded of desperation at all times.” quote by Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b16/hunter-s-thompson-278_all-time_i-got-tired-and-embarrassed-by-the-const_463350.jpg)
![“I mean, for years [my father] would been doing everything imaginable ... from speed to downers to you name it. I used to call that "changing seats on the Titanic," and I used to say that I myself was not only changing seats on the Titanic but dating the crew.” quote by Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c64/carrie-fisher-927_crew_i-mean-for-years-my-father-would-been-do_377200.jpg)
![“And how deeply do I let business considerations affect [screenwriting] choices that might otherwise be more or less esthetic? . . . Do I choose the upbeat rather than the downer ending because I know it will score better at the preview? Can the idea be sold in a single sentence? Can it compete…” quote by Edward Zwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/972/edward-zwick-24586_aliens_and-how-deeply-do-i-let-business-conside_302984.jpg)
