Quote

Personally, I've never had it as a goal in life to be happy. Seems impossible to achieve. Even the Declaration of Independence seems to acknowledge this. They talk about the pursuit of happiness, not happiness itself.

Jonathan Ames

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Jonathan Ames
Age: 60
Born: 1964
Born: March 23
Author
Essayist
Novelist
Screenwriter
Writer
New York City
New York
Happiness
Personally
Happy
Acknowledge
Seems
Independence
Even
Pursuit
Never
Achieve
Life
Impossible
Talk
Goal
Declaration

More quotes by Jonathan Ames

Image
I certainly want to portray the importance of friendship. I had noticed in movies and TV shows that friends often treated one another terribly, and my friends, the few I have, are never cruel to me or unkind, so I wanted to convey that.
Jonathan Ames
Image
I've always been inspired by Don Quixote as a role model of sorts, of the power of books to sort of make you insane in maybe a beautiful way.
Jonathan Ames
Image
I live for coincidences. They briefly give to me the illusion or the hope that there's a pattern to my life, and if there's a pattern, then maybe I'm moving toward some kind of destiny where it's all explained.
Jonathan Ames
Image
I've really never written about my relationships, or things like that. I wouldn't want to divulge things that were too private.
Jonathan Ames
Image
It's hard for me to think of writing a novel, because it takes so long.
Jonathan Ames
Image
The reason it's hard for me to tweet is I don't want to pronounce anything, and Twitter is for pronouncing.
Jonathan Ames
Image
Nothing wrong with changing your mind. That's a very unwaffling thing to say: Nothing wrong... Who am I to say that there's nothing wrong with it? Maybe something is wrong with changing your mind. Anyway, love is very, very difficult. I love. But probably because I hate myself on some deep, sick level, it makes loving difficult. But I do try.
Jonathan Ames
Image
My sophomore English teacher encouraged me to write for the school paper, and that's what got me started. Suddenly it struck me that being a writer could be a romantic and adventurous position. Previously, I had thought I would be a tennis pro, giving lessons at a local club. I thought that would be a good life, and it might have been.
Jonathan Ames
Image
The work changes the way your face changes and ages - it just does. Also, I have very little connection to anything I've written. I move on. We all move on
Jonathan Ames
Image
I've always been intrigued by Stockholm Syndrome. Reminds me of my childhood.
Jonathan Ames
Image
I am part of a vast generation of people who perpetually live as if they just graduated from college.
Jonathan Ames
Image
Mostly I have to try to censor myself so as not to write things that will hurt other people, or that will go too far.
Jonathan Ames
Image
To write about a place, you have to live there.
Jonathan Ames
Image
I enjoy both TV writing and novel writing, and they are very similar. The goal is to entertain and amuse the audience, and I subscribe to this P.G. Wodehouse piece of advice: Try to give pleasure with every sentence.
Jonathan Ames
Image
Oh, God, I don't know what's more difficult, life or the English language.
Jonathan Ames
Image
There's no shortage of material in life.
Jonathan Ames
Image
I hid my underwear beneath a parked Peugeot.
Jonathan Ames
Image
It seems like the original 'Star Trek' could have gone on longer.
Jonathan Ames
Image
How terrible to be alcoholic. You just want to quietly soothe and maybe poison yourself, but you end up poisoning those around you as well, like trying to commit suicide with a gas oven and unwittingly murdering your neighbors.
Jonathan Ames
Image
I'm on the verge of a total breakdown. Sciatica. Taxes. Cars. Fleas, possibly. It's an absurd existence.
Jonathan Ames