--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many people find it difficult to head…" description: "\"“Many people find it difficult to head straight for their fun; something in them refuses to play. The barrier is not lack of willpower (did you ever ne..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/victoria-nelson-85095_creative-process_many-people-find-it-difficult-to-head-st_2743196.jpg" --- # Many people find it difficult to head straight for their… ![“Many people find it difficult to head straight for their fun; something in them refuses to play. The barrier is not lack of willpower (did you ever need willpower, as a child, to make mud pies?), but a stronger and much more seductive emotion: hatred. Specifically, hatred of self. Loving…” quote by Victoria Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/victoria-nelson-85095_creative-process_many-people-find-it-difficult-to-head-st_2743196.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/victoria-nelson-85095_creative-process_many-people-find-it-difficult-to-head-st_2743196.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/victoria-nelson-85095_creative-process_many-people-find-it-difficult-to-head-st_2743196.jpg) > ““Many people find it difficult to head straight for their fun; something in them refuses to play. The barrier is not lack of willpower (did you ever need willpower, as a child, to make mud pies?), but a stronger and much more seductive emotion: hatred. Specifically, hatred of self. Loving oneself—as opposed to the narcissism of being in love with oneself, with all its attendant insecurities—is one of the most difficult life tasks to master, and it is integrally related to the creative process.”” [Victoria Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-nelson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑hatred blocks enjoyment and creativity; loving oneself healthily is essential for artistic work. **In simple terms:** Self‑hatred hinders fun and creation. Key Takeaway Cultivate genuine self‑love to unlock creativity. Themes self‑love creativity inner conflict personal growth Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - artistic projects - personal development - mindfulness practice Key Concepts psychology emotional intelligence creative process Questions to Reflect On - How can you differentiate healthy self‑acceptance from narcissism? - What small practice can reduce self‑hatred today? A Different Perspective Self‑love can slip into narcissism if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creative process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-process/) [Difficult life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-life/) [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Hatred Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hatred-self-1227308/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Inner child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-child/) [Love oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-oneself/) [Loving Oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loving-oneself-931380/) [Self compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-compassion/) [Self loving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-loving/) [Willpower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willpower/) [Writers block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-block/) [Writing process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-process/) ## Related quotes > [“The notion of loving oneself has gotten an undeservedly bad rap, which goes something like this: self-love is narcissistic, selfish, self-indulgent, the supreme delusion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/the-notion-of-loving-oneself-has-gotten-an-undeservedly-bad-rap-which/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [\*\*NoT CoNcEiT, JuSt SiMply LoViNg OnEsElF\*\*](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micayla-basson/not-conceit-just-simply-loving-oneself/) [Micayla Basson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micayla-basson/) > [“Loving oneself Is the most primal Of all survival mechanisms”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hackel/loving-oneself-is-the-most-primal-of-all-survival-mechanisms/) [Karen Hackel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hackel/) > [The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eldridge-cleaver/the-price-of-hating-other-human-beings-is-loving-oneself-less/) [Eldridge Cleaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eldridge-cleaver/) > [Loving oneself isn't hard, when you understand who and what 'yourself' is. It has nothing to do with the shape of your face, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phylicia-rashad/loving-oneself-isn-t-hard-when-you-understand-who-and-what-yourself/) [Phylicia Rashad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phylicia-rashad/) > [If we do not know how to take care of ourselves and to love ourselves, we cannot take care of the people we love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-do-not-know-how-to-take-care-of-ourselves-and-to-love-ourselves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Hatred is always self hatred, and there is something suicidal about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hatred-is-always-self-hatred-and-there-is-something-suicidal-about-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you are blessed with great fortunes. . . you may love your fate. But your fate never guarantees the security of those great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-blessed-with-great-fortunes-you-may-love-your-fate-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“All hatred is self-hatred, just as all healing is self-healing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-micha-el-leventhal/all-hatred-is-self-hatred-just-as-all-healing-is-self-healing/) [Eric Micha'el Leventhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-micha-el-leventhal/) > [“Hatred is self-punishment. Do you think they're feeling bad because you hate them?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-cohen-corasanti/hatred-is-self-punishment-do-you-think-they-re-feeling-bad-because/) [Michelle Cohen Corasanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-cohen-corasanti/) > [Hatred is self-punishment. Hatred it the coward's revenge for being intimidated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hosea-ballou/hatred-is-self-punishment-hatred-it-the-coward-s-revenge-for-being/) [Hosea Ballou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hosea-ballou/) > [It is not love of self but hatred of self which is at the root of the troubles that afflict our world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-not-love-of-self-but-hatred-of-self-which-is-at-the-root-of-the/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“For a man who professed to love God, he was filled with the vinegar of hatred and self-righteousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-chadwick/for-a-man-who-professed-to-love-god-he-was-filled-with-the-vinegar-of/) [Elizabeth Chadwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-chadwick/) > [“A sight to touch e’en hatred’s self with pity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/a-sight-to-touch-e-en-hatred-s-self-with-pity/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [There is no need for me to curse you -the murderer survives the victim only to learn that it was himself that he longed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/there-is-no-need-for-me-to-curse-you-the-murderer-survives-the-victim/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) ## More by Victoria Nelson > [“A novel is something that stands at the end of a lengthy process called writing. It is not a preexisting Platonic form embedded within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-nelson/a-novel-is-something-that-stands-at-the-end-of-a-lengthy-process/) [Victoria Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-nelson/) > [“As a rule, young children don't complain of wanting to fingerpaint but finding themselves mysteriously unable to do so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-nelson/as-a-rule-young-children-don-t-complain-of-wanting-to-fingerpaint-but/) [Victoria Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-nelson/) [Explore all 3 Victoria Nelson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-nelson/) ## More Creative process quotes > [Teasing out the way the world might look through another's eyes is what makes the creative process so fascinating and enjoyable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-carter/teasing-out-the-way-the-world-might-look-through-another-s-eyes-is/) [Stephen L. Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-l-carter/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Any creative process is about being in a territory which isn't secure, isn't necessarily familiar, and isn't convenient in any sort of way. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/any-creative-process-is-about-being-in-a-territory-which-isn-t-secure/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [ “\[A\]lways get to the dialogue as soon as possible. I always feel the thing to go for is speed. Nothing puts the reader off… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/a-lways-get-to-the-dialogue-as-soon-as-possible-i-always-feel-the/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [Use the creative process - singing, writing, art, dance, whatever - to get to know yourself better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catie-curtis/use-the-creative-process-singing-writing-art-dance-whatever-to-get-to/) [Catie Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catie-curtis/) > [Fear is a killer, when it comes to the creative process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-baldwin/fear-is-a-killer-when-it-comes-to-the-creative-process/) [Adam Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-baldwin/) > [The impresario function is about intervening with the company's more administrative management structure. It is about trying to establish a sense of boundaries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kao/the-impresario-function-is-about-intervening-with-the-company-s-more/) [John Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kao/) > [“I’m a big believer in cooking your own meals. It makes it much easier not only to ensure that you eat fresh foods but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ori-hofmekler/i-m-a-big-believer-in-cooking-your-own-meals-it-makes-it-much-easier/) [Ori Hofmekler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ori-hofmekler/) > [I think what holds people up in creative processes is the expectation of what it is they're doing. It's also the sense of judgement,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-hegarty/i-think-what-holds-people-up-in-creative-processes-is-the-expectation/) [Antony Hegarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-hegarty/) > [There just is exponentially more money in the movie business than in the music business. As a result there are more people involved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-duritz/there-just-is-exponentially-more-money-in-the-movie-business-than-in/) [Adam Duritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-duritz/) > [“The sooner you finish procrastinating, the sooner you can get back to your art.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-lennox/the-sooner-you-finish-procrastinating-the-sooner-you-can-get-back-to/) [Stephanie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-lennox/) > [Well, I do expect a lot of myself. I'm a harsh critic because I know what I'm capable of. I have hit those occasional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-stevens/well-i-do-expect-a-lot-of-myself-i-m-a-harsh-critic-because-i-know/) [Dave Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-stevens/) > [With music I get to feel real ownership with what I do. I write it, I perform it and even if it is crap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/with-music-i-get-to-feel-real-ownership-with-what-i-do-i-write-it-i/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/the-creative-act-is-not-performed-by-the-artist-alone-the-spectator/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [It is not enough to have a talented designer; the management must be inspired too. The creative process is very disorganised; the production process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-arnault/it-is-not-enough-to-have-a-talented-designer-the-management-must-be/) [Bernard Arnault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-arnault/) [Browse all 691 Creative process quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-process/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Many people find it difficult to head straight for their fun; something in them refuses to play. The barrier is not lack of willpower (did you ever need willpower, as a child, to make mud pies?), but a stronger and much more seductive emotion: hatred. Specifically, hatred of self. 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