The most extensive list under the "info" section of my Facebook profile is, by far, that of my favourite quotes.
Yes, even above the "about me" section! Even I can't talk about myself extensively enough to surpass the length of my quotations list.
And "lengthy" is probably a gross understatement for this list. Keep scrolling for a few days and my fascination and reverence for quotations will become more than apparent--believe me when I say that my growing number of quotes is increasingly difficult to keep track of.
So... why do I fall in love with the words of people I haven't met?
I'll affirm that this is because I love writing. As James Michener would say, "I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions," and I wholeheartedly subscribe to the idea that my writing shouldn't have to come solely from my own brain.
Thus, I borrow my words.
Or, more correctly, I steal.
I'd like to think that this is the writer's greatest secret and guiltiest pleasure. With thousands of permutations of possible combinations of words, we'd like to think that finding the right words to successfully convey whatever feeling we're trying to acheive is something we're capable of. We assume that stringing together a few words or sentences that hit the reader in just the right way is anything but a hefty challenge. And most often, we're wrong. But chances are that someone out there has already said it, and said it better than you ever could. So why not borrow?
It's a shameless form of plagiarism, but also a beautiful and perfectly acceptable one.
This is why I like to keep my favourite quotes at hand. There's a comfort in knowing that in whatever situation I'm in which puts me at a loss for words, somebody else, from Nietzsche to Gandhi to Paul McCartney, will be willing (or not willing, like I'd care to ask) to lend me a phrase.
John Green once said that “Maybe our favorite quotations say more about us than about the stories and people we're quoting.” This I will never know, given that I'll never have tea with Shakespeare or Jane Austen, but my favourite quotes, to me, are invaluable.
There are possibly a million things I could let you know through my Facebook profile. You might learn that I'm a fan of Batman, of T. S. Eliot, of Stephen Fry. But you know nothing if you do not know my take on heroes, on isolation, on even language itself through the lense of another person.
I don't see that as sad; I don't see that as an anomaly.
I hope that to everyone I know, I am judged solely by our personal interaction.
But to those of you who base your judgement of me on my online personality, you'd best read my quotations.
I love your writing style! It has a colloquial but formal feel that reminds me as though I am speaking to an intelligent best friend especially when you add little twists in your writing such as, "Thus, I borrow my words. Or, more correctly, I steal." I agree with your topic in this post. If a way, style or method of saying something is effective, why not use or copy it? We don't have to be inventors and create a new form or way that may be half as effective.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your writing. You have great diction and constantly keep your essay very amussing. I like how you explain that a person can simply judge you through your quotes. it makes me feel like the quotes enjoy show a much deeper sense of who you really are; more than just what people see upfront, read about you, or hear about you.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful post from a wonderful writer. I especially love how your voice shines through your writing. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is a crime to attempt to reiterate a phrase so beautifully woven, that it's better to - as you said - just steal a few words. Even as I make this comment to try and state how much I agree with you, I fear that I may clumsily do some sort of injustice to your post!
Kristin I love the way you right! You right as you are talking to a friend but yet there is this intelligent twist. I like how you said that "someone out there has already said it, and said it better than you ever could" because it is so true. We try to explain our life as best as we can but there is probably a quote that does it better than we can.
ReplyDeleteI love the journal like quality of your writing, though it seems you spend more time chatting and less actually discussing your quote. that may be just because the size of this essay though.
ReplyDeleteI really like this post kristin, you are one of the few people that i know that can always keep their writing fresh, it does not drag on forever with dry sentences which are devoid of stimulating diction, I look forward to reading your other posts.
ReplyDeleteI fall more in love with your writing with every blog post, seriously.
ReplyDeleteIt's perfectly alright to hoard quotes and use (steal?) them when you want to because a lot of the time, whatever it was you wanted to say has already been phrased eloquently by someone else. And that's why quotes are so beloved: someone said it better than I could have hoped to, and it really hit home and I'd like to keep it close and ingrain it into my memory.
Quotes are personal treasures, not necessarily for the people who said them but most definitely for us.
I'm really intrigued by your stylen of writing, I think your style varies, which keeps the reader interested. Never a dry spot, or monotone. You sound intelligent, but you still make the reader feel involved. Loved the post (:
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