Stephen chbosky quotes

I just want you to know that you’re very special… and the only reason I’m telling you is that I don’t know if anyone else ever has.

I am very interested and fascinated how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other.

It's just hard to see a friend hurt this much. Especially when you can't do anything except 'be there.' I just want to make him stop hurting, but I can't. So I just follow him around whenever he wants to show me his world.

there is this one photograph... that is just beautiful. it would be impossible to describe how beautiful it is, but i’ll try. if you listen to the song “asleep,” and you think about those pretty weather days that make you remember things, and you think about the prettiest eyes you’ve known, and you cry and the person holds you back, then i think you will see the photograph.

I walked over to the hill where we used to go and sled. There were a lot of little kids there. I watched them flying. Doing jumps and having races. And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn't.

He's a wallflower. You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.

there was a time when these weren't memories.

You can't just sit there and put everyone's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can't. You have to do things.

And she looked at me like she couldn't believe I knew she loved Anne Rice. I guess he didn't know how much she talked or how much I listened.

I love my mom. And this time, I told her I loved her. And she told me she loved me, too. And things were okay for a little while.

The perfect song on the perfect drive to make you feel infinite.

Dear friend, I feel great! I really mean it. I have to remember his for the next time I'm having a terrible week. Have you wer done that? You feel really bad, and then it goes away, and you don't know why. I try to remind myself when I feel great like this that there will be another terrible week coming someday, so I should store up as many great details as I can, so during the next terrible week, I can remember those details and believe that I'll feel great again. It doesn't work a lot, but I think it's very important to try.

I didn't feel like reading that night, so I went downstairs and watched a half-hour long commercial that advertised an exercise machine. They kept flashing a 1-800 number, so I called it. The woman who picked up the other end of the phone was named Michelle. And I told Michelle that I was a kid and did not need an exercise machine, but I hoped she was having a good night. That's when Michelle hung up on me. And I didn't mind a bit.

I look at the field, and I think about the boy who just made the touchdown. I think that these are the glory days for that boy, and this moment will just be another story someday because all the people who make touchdowns and home runs will become somebody's dad. And when his children look at his yearbook photograph, they will think that their dad was rugged and handsome and looked a lot happier than they are. I just hope I remember to tell my kids that they are as happy as I look in my old photographs. And I hope that they believe me.

So, I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.

Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again. And that was enough for me.

It's great that you can listen and be a shoulder to someone, but what about when someone doesn't need a shoulder? What if they need the arms or something like that? You can't just sit there and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can't. You have to do things.

Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight.

Even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.

I don't know how much longer I can keep going without a friend. I used to be able to do it very easily, but that was before I knew what having a friend was like.

It's strange the times people choose to be generous.

I was looking at the photographs and I started thinking that there was a time when these weren't memories.

Try to be a filter, not a sponge.

It's just that I don't want to be somebody's crush. If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don't want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it too.

There were other stories and other names. Second Base Stace, who had breasts in fourth grade and let some of the boys feel them. Vincent, who took acid and tried to flush a sofa down the toilet. Sheila, who allegedly masturbated with a hot dog and had to go to the emergency room. The list went on and on.

Music is a vital part of my life, and it has been since I was a kid. It helped me find my identity as a person, it helped me find my identity as an artist, and it helped me get in touch with emotions that I didn't know I had.

So, tomorrow, I’m leaving. And I’m not going to let that happen again with anyone else. I’m going to do what I want to do. I’m going to be who I really am. And I’m going to figure out what that is.

Girls are weird, and I don't mean that offensively. I just can't put it any other way.

There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.

It's kind of like when you look at yourself in the mirror and you say your name. And it gets to a point where none of it seems real. Well, sometimes I can do that, but I don't need an hour in front of a mirror. It just happens very fast, and things start to slip away. And I just open my eyes, and I see nothing. And then I start to breathe really hard trying to see something, but I can't. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, it scares me.

As people get older, we all know, you get married and you have a child and that becomes your family, but when you're 16 years old, especially, your family is your friends.

I wasn't raised very religiously because my parents went to Catholic school, but I do believe in God very much. I just never gave God a name, if you know what I mean. I hope I haven't let Him down regardless.

Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

I want to make sure that the first person you kiss loves you, okay?

Girls like guys to be a challenge. It gives them some mold to fit in how they act. Like a mom. What would a mom do if she couldn't fuss over you and make you clean your room? And what would you do without her fussing and making you do it? Everyone needs a mom. And a mom knowns this. And it gives her a sense of purpose. You get it?

Downtown. Lights on buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.

And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have. Good and bad.

What about when someone doesn't need a shoulder? What if they need the arms?

I can see it. This one moment when you know you’re not a sad story. You’re alive. And you stand up and see the lights and the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And you’re listening to that song in that drive with the people you love most in this world. And in this moment I swear… we are infinite.

I'm going to be who I really am. I'm going to figure out what this is.

Just tell me how to be different in a way that makes sense.

I just laid around in my bed, looking at the ceiling, and i smiled because it was a nice kind of quiet.

The thing is some girls think they can actually change guys

please believe that things are good with me, and even when they're not, they will be soon enough. And i will always believe the same about you.

The most beautiful surprise is that you have these moments where you connect with people on a deep level without saying a word. It's one of those wonderful things that you get what you give, and I'm grateful for it.

I used to listen to it all the time when I was little and thinking about grown-up things. I would go to my bedroom window and stare at my reflection in the glass and the trees behind it and just listen to the song for hours. I decided then that when I met someone I thought was as beautiful as the song, I should give it to that person. And I didn’t mean beautiful on the outside. I meant beautiful in all ways.

I think that if I ever have kids, and they are upset, I won't tell them that people are starving in China or anything like that because it wouldn't change the fact that they were upset. And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have.

I spent all night working on it, and I hope Patrick likes it as much as I do. Especially the second side. I hope it's the kind of second side that he can listen to whenever he drives alone and feel like he belongs to something whenever he's sad. I hope it can be that for him.

on that piece of white paper, sam wrote, "write about me sometime." and i typed something back to her, standing right there in her bedroom. i just typed. "i will.

Movies, by nature, are not subjective, they're objective.

I just think it's bad when a boy looks at a girl and thinks that the way he sees her is better than she actually is. And I think it's bad when the most honest way a boy can look at a girl is through a camera.

He’s my whole world.” “Don’t ever say that about anyone again. Not even me.

And all the books you've read have been read by other people. And all the songs you've loved have been heard by other people. And that girl that's pretty to you is pretty to other people. and that if you looked at these facts when you were happy, you would feel great because you are describing 'unity.

Have you ever done that? You feel really bad, and then it goes away, and you don’t know why.

I really do love my sister. Especially when she's nice.

I just hope I remember to tell my kids that they are as happy as I look in my old photographs. And I hope that they believe me.

If you are in a movie theater, you can look two people down and they are laughing while you are laughing or you can look three people down and they love that song that you love. It is living proof that you are not alone.

As you see the opening get closer, you just can't get fast enough. And finally, just when you think you'll never get there, you see the opening right in front of you.

But right now I’m here with you. And I want to know where you are, what you need, and what you want to do.

I'm just thinking too fast-- much too fast.

Well, I think that part of being young is not exactly knowing why you do some of the things that you do. And it's by exploring your life or experimenting or making mistakes and learning from them hopefully that you start to forge an identity.

We accept the love we think we deserve.

It was the kind of kiss that made me know that I was never so happy in my whole life.

Bridget who is crazy said that sometimes she thought about suicide when commercials come on during TV. She was sincere and this puzzled the guidance counselors.

The reason I am thinking so far in advance is because school is terribly lonely. I think I've said that before, but it's getting harder every day.

He realized that if he didn't leave, it would never be his life. It would be theirs.

You ever think Charlie, that our group is the same as any other group like a football team? And the only real difference between us is what we wear and why we wear it?

It's like he would take a photograph of Sam, and the photograph would be beautiful. And he would think that the reason the photograph was beautiful was because of how he took it. If I took it, I would know that the only reason it's beautiful is because of Sam. I just think it's bad when a boy looks at a girl and thinks that the way he sees the girl is better then the girl actually is. And I think it's bad when the most honest way a boy can look at a girl is through a camera. It's very hard for me to see Sam feel better about herself just because a boy sees her that way.

It's strange to describe reading a book as a really great experience, but that's kind of how it felt.

You should tell her how nice her outfit is because her outfit is her choice whereas her face isn't.

It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day, and how they are able to cope with having three quizzes and a book report on top of that.

Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody.

When I was driving home, I just thought about the word 'special'. And I thought the last person who said that about me was my Aunt Helen. I was very grateful to have heard it again. Because I guess we all forget sometimes. And I think everyone is special in their own way. I really do.

Sometimes people use thought to not participate in life.

It’s like when you’re excited about a girl and you see a couple holding hands, and you feel so happy for them. And other times you see the same couple, and they make you so mad. And all you want is to feel happy for them because you know that if you do, then it means you’re happy, too.

It’s strange how things can change back as suddenly as they changed originally. When one thing happens and suddenly, things are back to normal.

There are other people who have it a lot worse

I know that I brought this all on myself. I know that I deserve this. I'd do anything not to be this way. I'd do anything to make it up to everyone. And to not have to see a psychiatrist, who explains to me about being "passive aggressive.

I don't know what's wrong with me. It's like all I can do is keep writing this gibberish to keep from breaking apart.

That was always my hope that that is exactly what I would do. It was always part of the dream of this story - to write the novel and then direct the movie.

Craig said the problem with things is that everyone is always comparing everyone with everyone

There are rules you follow here not because you want to, but because you have to.

She wasn't bitter. She was sad, though. But it was a hopeful kind of sad. The kind of sad that just takes time.

I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have.

I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with someone even if they could have. I need to know these people exist.

Most of the people I know who were raised to be accommodating or were raised to just be nice and put everybody's needs ahead of theirs, there comes a moment when the pressure builds and they can't do it anymore. They have needs and they feel neglected and they usually explode.

Maybe he didn’t really encourage me to do things, but he didn’t prevent me from doing them either. But after a while, I didn’t do things because I didn’t want him to think different about me. But the thing is, I wasn’t being honest. So, why would I care whether or not he loved me when he didn’t really even know me?

So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.

I think it was the first time in my life I ever felt like I looked “good”. Do you know what I mean? That nice feeling when you look in the mirror, and your hair’s right for the first time in your life? I don’t think we should base so much on weight, muscles, and a good hair day, but when it happens, it’s nice. It really is.

And I guess I realized at that moment that I really did love her. Because there was nothing to gain, and that didn't matter.

This moment will just be another story someday.

And I never felt that good in my life. But I also felt bad because I saw her naked without her permission.

I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That’s why I’m trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning.

Do you always think this much? It's just that sometimes people use thought to not participate in life.

I’m so sorry that I wasted your time because you really do mean a lot to me and I hope you have a very nice life because I really think you deserve it. I really do. I hope you do, too. Okay, then. Goodbye.

I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and then make the choice to share it with other people. Maybe that is what makes people "participate.

I'm only being cute here. I don't really mean it. I just wanted to make you smile.

I don't think we should base so much on weight, muscles, and a good hair day, but when it happens, it's nice. It really is.

Enjoy it. Because it's happening.

If the advice is simply to respect yourself and follow the path that you want to follow, that would be the best advice I could ever pass on.

You get the right collection of people together and you get the atmosphere together that it is very free where there is no judgment. If you create an atmosphere that is very open you steer the ship.

To tell you the truth I love Sam. It's not a movie kind of love either. I just look at her sometimes and I think she is the prettiest and nicest person in the whole world.

Why do I and everyone I love pick people who treat us like we're nothing"; - "We accept the love we think we deserve.

It's nice to have things to look forward to.

It's okay to feel things. And be who you are about them.

I don’t want to start thinking again. Not like I have this last week. I can’t think again. Not ever again.

And even if she says no, and really means yes, then quite frankly she's playing games and isn't worth the price of dinner.

Everyone else is either asleep or having sex. I’ve been watching cable television and eating jello.

As much as I feel sad, I think that not knowing is what really bothers me.

I know that things get worse before they get better because that’s what my psychiatrist says, but this is a worse that feels too big.

The inside jokes weren't jokes anymore. they had become stories

Something really is wrong with me. And I don't know what it is.

It’s much easier not to know things sometimes.

The thing is, some girls think they can actually change guys. And what’s funny is that if they actually did change them, they’d get bored. They’d have no challenge left. You just have to give girls some time to think of a new way of doing things, that’s all. Some of them will figure it out here. Some later. Some never. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.

You take girls, for example. They're copying their moms and magazines and everything to know how to act around guys. I mean it's not like in movies where girls like assholes or anything like that. It's not that easy. They just like somebody that can give them purpose.

If you care about somebody, you should want them to be happy. Even if you wind up being left out.

So what's the point of using words nobody else knows or can say comfortably? I just don't understand that.

I remembered this one time that I never told anybody about. The time we were walking. Just the three of us. I was in the middle. I don't remember where we were walking to or where we were walking from. I just remember the season. I just remember walking between them and feeling for the first time that I belonged somewhere

Everyone is special in their own way.

And I closed my eyes because I wanted to know nothing but her arms.

I am really in love with Sam, and it hurts very much.

The truth is, when it gets really quiet, when the silence gets too loud, i really start to miss everyone.

Maybe it’s sad that these are now memories. And maybe it’s not sad.

I feel like a big faker because I've been putting my life back together, and nobody knows.

It's strange because sometimes, I read a book, and I think I am the people in the book.