Social Overwhelm Quotes

I am a person who can't teach writing or make a living in any public way, as I get confused when interrupted or overstimulated. In a classroom or crowded room, I all but blank out. So my only income is from novels.

I know I am unreasonable about people but there are so many wonderful people whom I can't take the time to know.

I have very, very few friends. I live in a very tight circle and emotionally I'm probably not as generous as I once was. In an average week I probably meet 150 new people and that's uncomfortable sometimes.

Anything where people have to work together makes me cry.

I'm quite claustrophobic, and I don't like everyone crowding around and shouting the same questions.

I love people; don't get me wrong. Individually, I love that interaction between people, and I'm not an ogre or something; but huge crowds of people, huge groups of people who seemingly have endless access to you - as I get older, I'm not really into that.

I think that we, as monkeys, want to live in smaller groups. It's very scary when we're all - as wonderful as it is - connected.

If I feel like if there's a few too many people on that path with me, then I want to jump off and find another one.

The thing about living in New York as a writer is that you hit that age where it feels like everyone has a book all at the same time. It's like that one year where you're invited to twenty weddings.