5 famous quotes by John Steinbeck

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John Steinbeck was an author with an enormous passion for his craft. In his performance, he has given us some very interesting phrases!

John Steinbeck was born in 1902 and although from a young age he had to work very hard to survive, writing was his true passion. Thus, at the age of 33, he obtained his first recognition from critics thanks to his novel Flat Tortilla which, later, led him to create other works such as Of mice and men either The grapes of wrath. But, If there is something that should be highlighted in his prose, it is his spirituality.. Therefore, today we will discover some very interesting famous quotes by John Steinbeck.

All the reflections that Steinbeck has left us allow us to get closer to a writer whose works stand out for their hardness and realistic nature. Sometimes, the way in which he expresses himself can cause rejection, because if there is something that characterizes Steinbeck, it is his clarity, without hiding the truth under pretty words. All this earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature. These are some of his phrases.

1. The needs of man

“Of all the animals in creation, man is the only one that drinks without being thirsty, eats without being hungry, and speaks without having anything to say.”

This first of John Steinbeck’s famous phrases is a strong criticism of human beings. Do we cover our needs because our body asks us to or without any compelling reason? In many of our gatherings with family and friends, food is present, which means that without wanting to eat, we end up doing so. Likewise, drinking a soft drink is not always to quench thirst; its amount of sugar, its power!

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Steinbeck relates this to “talking for the sake of talking.”. Those empty words, lacking real meaning and that are just sounds that we pronounce in our mouths. We talk to avoid feeling uncomfortable, because we do not tolerate silence, to make ourselves interesting… We are the only animal that does all this.

2. Truths that hurt

“A truth that is not believed hurts us much more than a lie.”

This second of John Steinbeck’s famous phrases also implies a criticism of our way of understanding truths. How many times do we request that others tell us the truth, that they not lie to us? But, when they do, we feel offended, since the rejection we notice when hearing a call for attention or a statement that we do not like is worse than a lie, because it is true! Without a doubt, a phrase that reveals the hypocrisy of human beings.

3. Resting is also an art

“The art of rest is a part of the art of working.”

Already in Steinbeck’s time, rest was considered an important part of work. Something that we continue to read on social networks and that perhaps people close to us advise us.

However, working hard is still seen as a good thing and rest is perceived as a waste of time. This is a big mistake, because without rest the work will get worse and worse. Productivity will be diminished, burnt-out worker syndrome will knock on our door…

Resting does not mean that we become lazy or lazy or comfortable. Resting is necessary, since we are not machines and we need to relax, clear our heads, sleep well, spend time with our loved ones to return to our work tasks with renewed strength. Therefore, as Steinbeck said, rest is also part of the art of working.

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4. A trip is like marriage

“A trip is like marriage. One is wrong if he thinks he has everything under control.”

This phrase is very revealing, because it talks about control. The concept he uses of travel is intended to refer to our lives. Life is a journey, but one in which unpredictable events can arisecircumstances that we may not like so much, difficult situations.

Thinking that we have everything under control is a mistake and can frustrate us.r. Therefore, just as we cannot control others in our relationships, such as the couple in marriage, it is not possible with the behavior or trajectory of other elements.

Letting go of control is usually not easy, but it is possible to achieve it. It takes a lot of work to flow instead of wanting to control everything.

5. There is only one life to live

“Ahead of us are a thousand different lives we could live, but when it comes, it will only be one.”

We end with one of John Steinbeck’s famous phrases that we could consider one of the most beautiful. With it, this author allows us to see how many possibilities and paths we can choose in life.

We have many options to live the life we really want. However, we can only make one choice. Although we have a thousand and one possibilities before us, in the end, we can only choose one of them.. Therefore, it must be done well…

These famous phrases by John Steinbeck have brought us a little closer to this author who, perhaps for many, was unknown.. All of them allow us to glimpse what we can find in his books and what Steinbeck’s personality, so spiritual and reflective, was like. In the bibliography you will find some links to his books.