Stefan Sagmeister Quotes

We should keep a careful diary of our moments of envy: they are our covert guides to what we should try to do next.

Writing in a journal reminds you of your goals and of your learning in life. It offers a place where you can hold a deliberate, thoughtful conversation with yourself.

I love books, and all the best ones are people analysing their own emotions. You can learn from that.

I didn't want to repeat my mistakes so I stopped, took some time out and started having therapy. My songs were bringing up feelings inside of me I didn't really understand, so I wanted to understand where they were coming from to help me be a better person and a better songwriter.

The two records are very different. I guess, on the second record, that's more where I was at. Its not that I'm more well-adjusted or anything, it's just that what I wanted to sing about maybe was more the way I wanted to feel.

Whoever comes to me finds me a mirror to whatever is in his heart. Thus, I try to help him to see qualities in himself that he needs to overcome.

I've been in therapy. I know enough about myself now to know that I really don't need to know anymore.

One advantage in keeping a diary is that you become aware with reassuring clarity of the changes which you constantly suffer.

I want to learn and challenge myself and grow.

Writing is a type of therapy for me. I'm always trying to break down what happened, and why I felt a certain way.

The feeling of self-discovery, for me, is perennial.

When we write about our lives we respond to them. As we respond to them we are rendered more fluid, more centered, more agile on our own behalf. We are tendered conscious.

My diary entries allow me to keep track of all the things I would like to change about my life.

It's more important to know your weaknesses than your strengths.

I am still a person with a sense of superficiality that I'm trying to challenge.

One of the things that is devastating is I realise I haven't been living a different life than when I was, like, 12. I'm shocked at how reclusive I've been since then. I was unaware of it until recently.

I went to a motivational training course once, a course of self-discovery, and I found out after a week that my fear - it was not a fear of not being accepted - was a very violent fear of failure.

I keep pushing buttons and trying to grow as a person and as a filmmaker.

I work on myself daily to be a better person. When I react in a negative way to somebody, I sit back and think about why I did it, so I'm always working on myself, and my music is the same.

The obsessions we have are pretty much the same our whole lives. Mine are people, the human condition, life.

I went to a psychotherapist for a year and a bit, and it was fantastic. I went in with a very clear question: I couldn't work out why I behaved in a certain way in certain situations, and I got that answered.

Fortunately analysis is not the only way to resolve inner conflicts. Life itself still remains a very effective therapist.

Your glass will not do you half so much service as a serious reflection on your own minds.

I dislike the word 'self-help.' Self-awareness, yes, but not self-help.

I believe that the biggest problem that humanity faces is an ego sensitivity to finding out whether one is right or wrong and identifying what one's strengths and weaknesses are.