William Saroyan Quotes

People are people, and they want to know about their own experiences.

As the writer, you're always a presence in the song. If you get close to what human beings are like, you're writing about common experience. We all do much the same things, so if you nail somebody, then you've also nailed yourself.

To me, acting used to be just, 'Get my face out there, get girls, make a little bit of money, make my mom proud.' It was just like sports. But there were moments in 'Moonlight' that I really felt like I had to know why he is the way he is. Or just people in general - why this person walks around with a frown on their face instead of a smile.

Stories teach us empathy. They reveal to us ourselves in the skins of others.

We never know a greater character unless there is in ourselves something congenial to it.

You have to start knowing yourself so well that you begin to know other people. A piece of us is in every person we can ever meet.

People are not problems to be solved. They are mysteries to be explored.

The ideal way to approach a character is to find something in yourself that relates in some way.

Self-knowledge comes from knowing other men.

I write human stories. I write about people. Not as a product of their environment. But from the stance that everybody is made of the same thing.

I recognize myself to a lesser or greater extent in everything I read, good and bad, and that's part of being a human being if you're honest enough. And obviously the darker parts are the things you don't let control you.

We never completely comprehend ourselves, but we can do far more than comprehend.

I was a little truth seeker as a child. I wanted more than anything to understand myself and also other people.

Those who write about life, reflect about life. you see in others who you are.

I had discovered that I'm much less special than I thought I am. So whatever I find true for myself, other people might also relate to.

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.

I understand the common man because I understand me in that regard at least.

I just want to portray a very honest character that displays traits that people can truly relate to and can help them - the audience and myself because I learn from the characters as well - help them see themselves in a perspective that is outside of what they know already, and grow from that experience.

We saw in him what we seek in ourselves.

Every single character I've ever played has a little bit of me in them just because every single human in the world has a little bit of everything in them.

I think, for a long time, I didn't have people who understood where I was coming from. They were giving me advice on what would be good for them.

I think people will discover themselves in 'Ankahee.'

I'm trying to use myself and my own flawedness as a metaphor for general human experience. I'm trying to 'stand next to' a subject, whether it's Bobby Knight or Vince Carter, and use that subject to meditate on both him and me.

I let characters be human and flawed and relatable. When we do things that aren't that great, we can understand it.

Sonya is the way she is for a reason and I love enlightening the fans on what those things are because so many people are going through similar experiences and have amazing stories I love to hear and relate to myself.