Michael Shannon Quotes

When you watch someone on TV go through something that you're going through that's difficult, it lets you know that you're not alone, and there's nothing to be ashamed of.

I've been honest with a lot of the problems I've had in life. Everybody has problems. They can relate to that.

I try to be positive, and from 'Individual'... which was an angry record. I got a lot of mail from people pouring out their feelings, saying that they could really relate to certain topics that I touched upon. When I read that, it lets know that there are people out there that are people out there who are going through the same things.

With things that I'm going through, whether they be on a small scale or a large scale, I'm thinking, 'Who else is going through this? And how can I address it and bring it to light to help someone else?'

To share our stories is not only a worthwhile endeavor for the storyteller, but for those who hear our stories and feel less alone because of it.

I traffic in empathy. I try to be vulnerable with people so they can be vulnerable back. I've always been searching for empathy in other people. It's when I feel most not alone.

I just think that the only way we come to ourselves is through each other.

I sing because it soothes me, and I write because I want to let others know that they're not alone with their problems.

The Big Chill is one of those things that everybody can identify with. Between eight characters, they can pick somebody who's somewhat like them.

Experiences are like hoarded gold. Whenever I dole out a piece of my private suffering, that is when I get letters from all over the world.

Always the aim for me is making people feel like they are not alone. That's just the greatest feeling.

You want people - I want people to relate to me as a character. I want them to go, 'That could have been me,' or, 'I know someone like that.'

As human beings, we need to know that we are not alone, that we are not crazy or completely out of our minds, that there are other people out there who feel as we do, live as we do, love as we do, who are like us.

It definitely seems like we are connecting with people, which is nice, because I've had a lot of music do the same for me. It's not like I don't I understand why we get the reactions we do.

There are some people who come to me for some illumination on their problems. I guess they feel I'm writing about some of the things they themselves are going through. But I don't usually have much help to give - there isn't much you can say to someone in the midst of their own crises.

There's so many things that I've gone through that I want to share because there's other teenagers that are going through the same things or will go through the same things.

There are a lot of people who have the same fears and problems I had as a young man growing up. You read about it all the time. If you can help someone in some way, terrific.

I talk about a lot of issues I go through and some of my fans go through and try to create a fellowship where people can relate to each other.

My music is straightforward because I want to give people me and let them know they're not alone in going through the things that they go through.

Why am I not just some old woman ranting in a room? I think because what I say connects with people's truths.

I love being able to share my story to help others relate or cope with their own stuff they have going on at home.

When one person says, 'Yeah, me, too,' it gives permission for others to open up.

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.

Everybody's in a situation; everybody has a story. It's about finding out why.

Sometimes if you just take the time to really pay attention and break it down, you can figure out what caused it. And from there, generally, I can pull myself up out of it. And if I can't, that's where the support group comes in.