“There is this quality, in things, of the right way seeming wrong at first.”
In this quote, John Updike captures the idea that sometimes what is perceived as the correct or proper way of doing things may not always seem that way initially. This can apply to various aspects of life where initial judgments or assumptions may not always be accurate. The quote suggests that it is important to look beyond initial impressions and consider alternative perspectives before reaching a final conclusion.
John Updike's quote reminds us that sometimes the correct path may not always be immediately clear. In our modern world, where quick decisions and instant gratification are highly valued, it is important to remember that things may not always be as they seem at first glance. This notion can be applied to various aspects of our lives, from decision-making to problem-solving. It serves as a reminder to look beyond the surface and consider different perspectives before judging a situation.
John Updike once said, "There is this quality, in things, of the right way seeming wrong at first." This quote highlights the idea that sometimes the correct course of action may not always appear obvious at first glance.
“It frightens him to think of her this way. It makes her seem, in terms of love, so vast.”
“I once did something right. I played first-rate basketball. I really did. And after you're first-rate at something, no matter what, it kind of takes the kick out of being second-rate.”
“My first thought, as a child, was that the artist brings something into the world that didn't exist before, and that he does it without destroying something else. A kind of refutation of the conservation of matter. That still seems to me its central magic, its core of joy.”
“A leader is one who, out of madness or goodness, volunteers to take upon himself the woe of the people. There are few men so foolish, hence the erratic quality of leadership.”
“...I glance around at the nest we have made, at the floorboards polished by our bare feet, at the continents of stain on the ceiling like an old and all-wrong discoverer's map, at the earnestly bloated canvases I conscientiously cover with great streaks straining to say what even I am begining to suspect is the unsayable thing, and I grow frightened.”
“Nelson! Stop that this minute!" She turns rigid in the glider but does not rise to see what is making the boy cry. Eccles, sitting by the screen, can see. The Fosnacht boy stands by the swing, holding two red plastic trucks. Angstrom's son, some inches shorter, is batting with an open hand toward the bigger boy's chest, but does not quite dare to move forward a step and actually strike him...Nelson's face turns up toward the porch and he tries to explain, "Pilly have - Pilly -" But just trying to describe the injustice gives it unbearable force, and as if struck from behind he totters forward and slaps the thief's chest and receives a mild shove that makes him sit on the ground. He rolls on his stomach and spins in the grass, revolved by his own incoherent kicking. Eccles' heart seems to twist with the child's body; he knows so well the propulsive power of a wrong, the way the mind batters against it and each futile blow sucks the air emptier until it seems the whole frame of blood and bone must burst in a universe that can be such a vacuum.”