What a horror it would have been if the world was real, because if the world was real, it would be immortal.
Jack Kerouac
Reality, Mortality, Philosophical Musing, Existence, Impermanence
Jack Kerouac’s Quotes On Topics
Ambition | Human Spirit | Simplicity | Family | Stories | Self-belief | Life-altering Moments | Isolation | Sunset | Wisdom | Regional Differences | Ancestry | Life Challenges | End | Desire | Spontaneity | Personal Offering | Culture | Primal Knowledge | Sociability | More
More Jack Kerouac Quotes
“The only truth is music.” Jack Kerouac
Music, Truth, Philosophy, Artistic Expression, Emotional Authenticity
Jack Kerouac Music, Truth, Philosophy, Artistic Expression, Emotional Authenticity“Practice kindness all day to everybody and you will realize you're already in heaven now.” Jack Kerouac
Kindness, Heaven, Practice, Realization, Present Moment
Jack Kerouac Kindness, Heaven, Practice, Realization, Present Moment“I like too many things and get all confused and hung-up running from one falling star to another till i drop. This is the night, what it does to you. I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion.” Jack Kerouac
Overwhelm, Passion, Confusion, Night, Self-doubt
Jack Kerouac Overwhelm, Passion, Confusion, Night, Self-doubt“Symbolism is alright in 'fiction,' but I tell true life stories simply about what happened to people I knew.” Jack Kerouac
Realism, Storytelling, Truth, Personal Experiences, Literary Style
Jack Kerouac Realism, Storytelling, Truth, Personal Experiences, Literary Style“Because I cannot write my native language and have no native home anymore, and am amazed by that horrible homelessness of all French-Canadian s abroad in America.” Jack Kerouac
Displacement, Language, Identity, Cultural Alienation, Homelessness
Jack Kerouac Displacement, Language, Identity, Cultural Alienation, Homelessness“Don't tell them too much about your soul. They're waiting for just that.” Jack Kerouac
Privacy, Vulnerability, Human Nature, Self-protection, Personal Boundaries
Jack Kerouac Privacy, Vulnerability, Human Nature, Self-protection, Personal Boundaries“I made myself famous by writing 'songs' and lyrics about the beauty of the things I did and ugliness, too.” Jack Kerouac
Fame, Self-expression, Duality, Artistic Creation, Honesty
Jack Kerouac Fame, Self-expression, Duality, Artistic Creation, Honesty“Dharma Bums refusing to subscribe to the general demand that they consume production and therefore have to work for the privilege of consuming, all that cramp they didn't really want anyway such as refrigerators, TV sets, cars, at least new fancy cars, certain hair oils and deodorants and general junk you finally always see a week later in the garbage anyway, all of them imprisoned in a system of work, produce, consume, work, produce, consume...” Jack Kerouac
Consumerism, Freedom, Lifestyle, Critique, Society
Jack Kerouac Consumerism, Freedom, Lifestyle, Critique, Society“Rest and be kind, you don't have to prove anything.” Jack Kerouac
Self-acceptance, Kindness, Rest, Non-striving, Inner Peace
Jack Kerouac Self-acceptance, Kindness, Rest, Non-striving, Inner Peace“We’ve got to have mind-collecting weeks in our zendos where your mind tries to fly off like a Tinker Toy and like a good soldier you put it back together with your eyes closed except of course the whole thing is wrong.” Jack Kerouac
Mind, Meditation, Focus, Discipline, Reflection
Jack Kerouac Mind, Meditation, Focus, Discipline, Reflection“This is the way I like it, when you get going there's just no need to talk, as if we were animals and just communicated by silent telepathy.” Jack Kerouac
Silence, Communication, Connection, Understanding, Wordless Bond
Jack Kerouac Silence, Communication, Connection, Understanding, Wordless Bond“The whole universe was crazy and cock-eyed and extremely strange.” Jack Kerouac
Universe, Strangeness, Perception, Cosmic Chaos, Existential Thoughts
Jack Kerouac Universe, Strangeness, Perception, Cosmic Chaos, Existential Thoughts“As I grew older I became a drunk. Why? Because I like ecstasy of the mind.” Jack Kerouac
Addiction, Mind, Ecstasy, Age, Escape
Jack Kerouac Addiction, Mind, Ecstasy, Age, Escape“The Four Inevitabilities: 1. Musty Books. 2. Uninteresting Nature. 3. Dull Existence. 4. Blank Nirvana, buy that boy.” Jack Kerouac
Pessimism, Cynicism, Life’s Banalities, Spiritual Emptiness, Consumerism
Jack Kerouac Pessimism, Cynicism, Life’s Banalities, Spiritual Emptiness, Consumerism“I realize that no matter where I am, whether in a little room full of thought, or in this endless universe of stars and mountains, it's all in my mind.” Jack Kerouac
Mind-centric Reality, Perception, Universe Within, Consciousness, Philosophical Realization
Jack Kerouac Mind-centric Reality, Perception, Universe Within, Consciousness, Philosophical Realization“Work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea.” Jack Kerouac
Language, Creativity, Expression, Metaphor, Imagination
Jack Kerouac Language, Creativity, Expression, Metaphor, Imagination“My philosophy is that you can't explain the world. It's too big and it's too crazy and sometimes it's funny and most of the time it's... strange.” Jack Kerouac
Philosophy, World Complexity, Humor, Strangeness, Unexplainable Nature
Jack Kerouac Philosophy, World Complexity, Humor, Strangeness, Unexplainable Nature“Contrary to the general belief about photography, you don't need bright sunlight: the best moodiest pictures are taken in the dim light of almost dusk, or of rainy days...” Jack Kerouac
Photography, Mood, Lighting, Misconceptions, Artistic Insight
Jack Kerouac Photography, Mood, Lighting, Misconceptions, Artistic Insight“The mere thought of looking out the window at Mexico – which was now something else in my mind – was like recoiling from some gloriously riddled glittering treasure-box that you're afraid to look at because of your eyes, they bend inward, the riches and the treasures are too much to take all at once.” Jack Kerouac
Perception, Overwhelm, Beauty, Mental Imagery, Cultural Richness
Jack Kerouac Perception, Overwhelm, Beauty, Mental Imagery, Cultural Richness