Alain de Botton Quotes

Anybody who dedicates himself to exploring the human condition, there's always a detached eye that's watching. In any situation, a little part of me is observing it, to see if there are any raw materials to create something else later.

There are instances when we are like horses, we psychologists, and grow restless: we see our own shadow wavering up and down before us. A psychologist must look away from himself in order to see anything at all.

The portrait I do best is of the person I know best.

I think that being perceptive and having interests is nothing but an asset.

Self-knowledge is essential not only to writing, but to doing almost anything really well. It allows you to work through from a deep place - from the deep, dark corners of your subconscious mind.

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

I've always been a very self-aware person.

I want, by understanding myself, to understand others. I want to be all that I am capable of becoming.

I think creative people need to do a bit of, you know, tuning into every radio station - you just do, otherwise you don't know much about other people. You kind of have to learn a bit about yourself so you can work out how we all behave and why we do the things we do.

The writer is someone who tears himself to pieces in order to liberate his neighbor.

There's a very real possibility in this industry of going out and leading your life and then going home and being a voyeur of your own life. You can literally go watch yourself - where you went last night, what you did, what the things that people presuppose about you. It's kind of crazy.

So I observe life a little bit, rather than participating in it.

But what do we know of the heart nearest to our own? What do we know of our own heart?

If you don't understand yourself you don't understand anybody else.

If I have not the power to put myself in the place of other people, but must be continually burrowing inward, I shall never be the magnanimous creative person I wish to be. Yet I am hypnotized by the workings of the individual, alone, and am continually using myself as a specimen.

A lot of times, I'm singing things that are observational and am definitely including myself.

I'm insatiably curious about human nature. I feel very lucky that as a writer I get to learn so much about it just to do my job right.

I think I've always had that bird's-eye view of myself. I think it's an actor trait... Sometimes it's best just to get lost out there, but other times you have to be aware of where the light's hitting you.

It's rare for artists to really stare deeply at themselves in the mirror, literally, because there's constantly a mirror on you.

I think I'm pretty self-aware.

I try not to be super self-referential about my work because it becomes like navel gazing at a certain point.

You can't be a great comedian without having self-awareness about others or your own faults. You need a strong sense of self and view on the world. That's what great actors have, too.

The one thing I've tried to do is be insightful.

I definitely am more observational of the people around me and how they interact and less introspective about myself.

We're not always the most insightful about ourselves.