Considered as one of the most established authors in the thriller genre Stephen King is a name everybody recognized. His written works are a variety of horror, suspense, supernatural, and fantasy. Stephen King knew he wanted to be a writer, and there was nothing else he imagined to be doing. His love for writing inspired him to write stories and ceased to imagine himself, not doing so.
One might ask where he gets his ideas and inspiration, and the author simplifies it in one word and one question: everywhere and ‘what if?’ He has a penchant towards constructing deeply flawed characters with a touch of psychological dysfunction. All these make his stories interesting, and the readers are gasping for more.
There’s also one fascinating detail in all his works; there are certain lines, phrases, or even paragraphs that candidly offer realities and advice for every aspect of life. True enough, after reading Stephen King’s book, one will never be short of the true experience of horror and life lessons.
Listed below are the quotes from his notable works. Read and uncover a world you’ll never forget.
Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.
Talent makes someone different, but hard work makes all the difference for anyone. Talent is the door, but hard work is the key. No amount of talent can get you anywhere without the persisting hard work and long hours of honing one’s skill and talent. A successful person may not be talented, but a successful person is never without hard work.
Get busy living or get busy dying.
Often, you were busy measuring the spoilt milk that you have forgotten the cows which have given them. You only have one life to live, and it wouldn’t be easy. Whining won’t even make it bearable. Instead, reevaluate your whole belief system about life and start doing what you love. That’s is when you finally start living.
I think that we’re all mentally ill. Those of us outside the asylums only hide it a little better.
The world is so cruel and unjust that if one fails to make necessary adjustments, it would be harder to survive. We are all crazy; some people are just so good at hiding it. The yin and yang govern our principles. This is also a great reminder to be a little bit kind to everyone. We are unaware of the kinds of battle everyone’s fighting.
We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.
People have the habit of shoving the realities down the deepest part of the closet and trying to forget about them even when they come knocking almost every night. You spent countless nights suppressing the realities of your everyday horror stories. This is maybe one of the ways people survive.
There’s no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst.
Being optimistic is the best served when you have came prepared for the worst. The wrath can attack any time of the day, and the worst might be unimaginable. Some things we can prepare, some things scare us by surprise, and some things just happen in a flash you don’t even have time to react. Teach your heart and mind to be critical of everything.
Art should be a place of hope.
The different varieties of art are known to give comfort to the heart and mind. Art frees the creative mind and uses a variety of emotions and imagination. Art is what keeps everyone going. Unknowingly we are all part of art, and we create art.
Monsters are real and ghosts are real too. They live inside us and sometimes they win.
The battle you’ve won against yourself, the feeling of not measuring up, and the idea of not making it; these are the demons you continue to fight every day. Some days you win, some days you don’t. But whoever wins, you must continue to get up and live each day.
Someday, the day will come when you will learn that your demons can no longer be your enemy, but your strength instead.
Alone, yes, that’s the key word, the most awful word in the English tongue. Murder doesn’t hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym.
Consider as one of human’s greatest fear, to be alone, without anyone to call and have, is the most sorrowful fate anyone can walk on. It distorts the way a human thinks, and it even leads to unfortunate incidents. On a positive note, being alone would effectively equate to freedom, peace, and pursuit of individual happiness.
If a fear cannot be articulated, it can’t be conquered.
This is the time to end the constant apologies for feeling what you are feeling. Emotions are what makes human different. Scream on mountains, cry and do whatever is therapeutic for you. Understand your fear and know where it comes from. Then do something about it. Don’t allow yourself to be a slave of your terror.
The scariest moment is always just before you start.
The first jump will always be the scariest. Not knowing what lies ahead is always the fear that keeps the feet steady, but the moment you stay and keep yourself rooted on the same dirt forever won’t get you anywhere. So, take your chances, take your leap. Worry about the consequences later. The things you will regret the most are those you’ve failed to give a chance to try.
You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.
It takes bravery to start something, but a shaking heart is not a coward heart. Find the tiny flame of courage within and take your stand. You are not meant to be someone who settles for a lesser version of yourself. Make the most of everything you have and create something beautiful out of it. You are worthy of all that you dream of being.
We lie best when we lie to ourselves.
The lies you feed your soul may come from different reasons, but these lies you consumed may become the distorted truth you try to embrace. There’s no harm in pretending to keep yourself going, but the habitual pattern may lead to self-destruction. Take a break from all-consuming lies you build up and take a closer look at them in the light. Only by doing this will you learn how to manage your emotions and thoughts.
It was the possibility of darkness that made the day seem so bright.
The good thing is, nothing is permanent. The darkness fade to give way to the light. The storm you are in now will soon pass, the mud all over you will so wash away. Things may take time before they change, and sometimes, they feel like they might not change at all. Have faith that it will and do something to ensure that it will. Believe in the possibility of a bright future even when you’re dreaming under a dark starless night.
People who try hard to do the right thing always seem mad.
In a world where people who do awful things don’t even bother to bat an eye, it is very uncommon to find people who go good things even without an audience. Your good dead may not give you a reward, or a viral video on social media, but a heart that genuinely helps will be rewarded with great things. The world doesn’t need more professionals; what this world needs are those who are kind-hearted, loving, and peaceful people.
The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool.
The most distressing thing about betrayal is that it doesn’t come from the enemy. Be careful of the trust you give. The hand you helped today could be the same hand that will stab you tomorrow.
The only mortal sin is giving up.
The worst thing you could do to yourself is to give up. Don’t be your own greatest enemy.
We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why. Not until the future eats the present, anyway. We know when it’s too late.
Unknowingly, we are all connected. Our paths are destined to intertwine with one another. Sometimes, lucky people are given a chance to see and trace the paths. Your actions will always have consequences not just to yourself but to a multitude of people as well.
Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
Books are your cheapest ticket to the world, even to places you never imagine. On every page, there’s a beauty to be found. With a little imagination and a touch of your magic, you can unfold an endless void full of wonders.
Only enemies speak the truth; friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty.
The enemies have no one to please but themselves, so they speak the truth to those who don’t want to see. Friends and family lie for a multitude of reasons, and the only consolation is they did it for you. Yet, the pain of betrayal will always be from the hands of those who you dearly love. So be careful with the amount of trust you give. Too much and a little less can make a difference.
The world has teeth and it can bite you with them any time it wants.
The world won’t stop spinning for you. It doesn’t care about you. No matter how you feel, or what happened to you, it won’t halt to ask how you have been. It has claws enough to scratch you, and it has endless monsters enough to haunt you. The world pleases no one, so in return, you refrain from anything to please the world.
A cowardly leader is the most dangerous of men.
Responsibility weighs heavy on the shoulders of a weak leader. It frightens, it taunts, and it hunts. Failure to do a job puts others in great risk, whatever the circumstances are. A leader who takes no responsibility is not even worthy of being called one.
Some things it don’t pay to be curious about.
The classic line, ignorance is bliss, has saved a lot of people. There’s peace in not knowing what lies ahead. There’s happiness in spontaneous plans, and there’s a thrill in anticipating the unknown. Curiosity has killed the cat, and it’s up to you to decide which things are worth knowing
Humor is almost always anger with its make-up on.
Humor conceals and ornaments anger. You say it is humor even when it is anger concealed in a joke or hidden behind a laugh. The disguise you put on to cover your myriad emotions are like your over-used safe blanket that you continue to use for its little warmth
We fool ourselves so much we could do it for a living.
Stop cultivating a lifestyle where you put on a different mask every day. Stop making excuses for others, stop letting others take over your life, and stop following the footprints of people who don’t have positive impacts on your life. Take the wheel, and steer it where you want to be. Learn how to define yourself.
These quotes are gifts from the thriller genre. It’s a natural reaction of people to ignore what’s dreadful and disgusting, but there’s merit in acknowledging what’s wicked. The style might not be for everybody, but to those who find humor and thrill in these kinds of books, they are lucky to have Stephen King.
Stephen King has a gift to interpret human fears and horror into stories. His influence crosses borders and emotions. He has reshaped how the public sees a villain or a character, and his legacy continues to be well-loved the people. The quotes mentioned might be from the different mouths of his fictional characters, but the addressee is everyone who has read and understand all the flawed characters who continued to haunt its readers. Stephen King’s legacy continues to inspire countless stories, different lives, and horrific circumstances.
