So this is why I write. Because most times, your life isn’t funny the first time through. Most times, you can hardly stand it. That’s why I write, because life never works except in retrospect. And writing makes you look back. Because since you can’t control life, at least you can control your version.

Chuck Palahniuk

Categorized in : Looks Writing Retrospect

We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.

Chuck Palahniuk

inspiring inspirational life

Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep...wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky his is to have you....The one who turns to his friends and says, 'that's her.'

Chuck Palahniuk

stars beautiful lying

Your past is just a story. And once you realize this it has no power over you.

Chuck Palahniuk

hard-times life past

We've spent so much time judging what other people created that we've created very, very little of our own.

Chuck Palahniuk

judging littles people

I take pens and I write on the inside of my arm. When I'm with people and somebody says a really fascinating anecdote, or fact, or phrase, I'll write it on the inside of my arm. At the end of the day, I'll take the very best things that are on my arm and I'll copy them into a notebook that I always carry and only when the weather is absolutely terrible will I really key the very best of that notebook into the computer. At that point, it's all sort of censored twice - only the best things go from the arm to the book and only the best things go from the book to the computer.

Chuck Palahniuk

notebook writing weather

It's so hard to forget pain, but it's even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace.

Chuck Palahniuk

happy happiness inspirational

You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else.

Chuck Palahniuk

unique beautiful beauty

There's an opposite to déjà vu. They call it jamais vu. It's when you meet the same people or visit places, again and again, but each time is the first. Everybody is always a stranger. Nothing is ever familiar.

Chuck Palahniuk

opposites people firsts

There are only patterns, patterns on top of patterns, patterns that affect other patterns. Patterns hidden by patterns. Patterns within patterns. If you watch close, history does nothing but repeat itself. What we call chaos is just patterns we haven't recognized. What we call random is just patterns we can't decipher. what we can't understand we call nonsense. What we can't read we call gibberish. There is no free will. There are no variables.

Chuck Palahniuk

variables doe watches

A good story should change the way you see the world.

Chuck Palahniuk

stories way world

If you can change the way people think. The way they see themselves. The way they see the world. If you do that, you can change the way people live their lives. That's the only lasting thing you can create.

Chuck Palahniuk

grateful people thinking

I would say any behavior that is not the status quo is interpreted as insanity, when, in fact, it might actually be enlightenment. Insanity is sorta in the eye of the beholder.

Chuck Palahniuk

enlightenment eye insanity

May I never be complete. May I never be content. May I never be perfect.

Chuck Palahniuk

perfect may inspiring

Because nothing is as good as you can imagine it. No one is as beautiful as she is in your head. Nothing is as exciting as your fantasy.

Chuck Palahniuk

fantasy imagine beautiful

When did the future switch from being a promise to a threat?

Chuck Palahniuk

future literature promise

Sometimes the very best way to deal with unpleasant things is to depict them in ways that allow people to laugh at them and destroy the power of unsayable things, rather than refusing to acknowledge them.

Chuck Palahniuk

laughing people way

Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone I've ever known.

Chuck Palahniuk

effort inspiring inspire

The first step - especially for young people with energy and drive and talent, but not money - the first step to controlling your world is to control your culture. To model and demonstrate the kind of world you demand to live in. To write the books. Make the music. Shoot the films. Paint the art.

Chuck Palahniuk

music book art

In truth, the degree of anyone's success depends on how often they can say the word yes and hear the word no.

Chuck Palahniuk

depends degrees

Find joy in everything you choose to do. Every job, relationship, home... it's your responsibility to love it, or change it.

Chuck Palahniuk

boyfriend love relationship