Quotes About Meaning

Everybody needs his memories. They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door.

I actually carry a little picture of a wolf in my wallet, rather like people carry a picture of their kids. The reason I do that is to remind myself why I'm doing this, to remind myself of the story.

Translation is like a woman. If it is beautiful, it is not faithful. If it is faithful, it is most certainly not beautiful.

I walk every day, and I look at the mountains and the fields and the small city, and I say: 'Oh my God, what a blessing.' Then you realise it's important to put it in a context beyond this woman, this man, this city, this country, this universe.

Woman absent is woman dead.

Design is about point of view, and there should be some sort of woman or lifestyle or attitude in one's head as a designer. So my being able to reach the masses was something that meant a great deal to me - especially for women who could never wear Vera Wang.

You can use your womb if you want - it's the most beautiful thing to do if you want - but it's not our only reason to be put on this earth.

People don't think their dreams amount to much, but when I ask them to examine them for common themes, they surprise themselves at how accurate they are! They see that their dreams have value.

I write to try to find out who I am. One of my main themes is manliness. I think I'm trying to figure out what manliness really is.

If you want to get to know somebody you don't ask other people: 'How is she?' You talk to the person herself. And then you don't ask about facts like 'date of birth' or 'profession of parents.' but you talk about essential questions and themes in life.

I can't make a movie unless I believe in the themes behind it. I mean, that's the first question I ask myself, always, is, 'What is this movie about?'

Themes only arise after a novel is written, and people begin to try to talk about it.

Both individuals and societies tell themselves stories to simplify and make sense of the messy chaos of reality.

I kind of roll my eyes when people say they make music for themselves or they make art just for themselves, because, maybe in their head, what that means is that they're making it for someone who they don't think is real. Their audience isn't real. But it's still a communicative act. It's still an outward manifestation of longing.

If I am what I have and if I lose what I have who then am I?

I'm not a fan of small talk but if you want to get into the big questions of life - your deepest regret, your greatest joy - then we're going to have a great chat.

If you're not ready to die, then how can you live?

If you call 'religious' a man who believes in what I call a Supermeaning, a meaning so comprehensive that you can no longer grasp it, get hold of it in rational intellectual terminology, then one should feel free to call me religious, really.

Theodore Roethke was a poet I was raised with so he has a lot of sentimental value for me.

I don't think I could write a novel that wasn't theological.

In religion, symbols have always played a iconographic and ritualistic role. Different symbols might represent different theological ideas.

What has 'theology' ever said that is of the smallest use to anybody? When has 'theology' ever said anything that is demonstrably true and is not obvious? What makes you think that 'theology' is a subject at all?

Humans are pattern-seeking animals, consciously and subconsciously imposing designs and theories on to past events. We do this in both our private lives and when looking at history.

I'm a big fan of simplicity, especially with songs and I try not to make them complicated. I just make them simple and let people absorb that message themselves. That's my theory.