Altruism is innate, but it's not instinctual. Everybody's wired for it, but a switch has to be flipped. David Rakoff altruismflipinnate Change image and share on social
I will forever be grateful to my oncologist for opening the door and saying, 'Damn it, the tumor's 10 percent bigger,' before he even said hello. David Rakoff bigdamndoor Change image and share on social
Everyone has an internal age, a time in life when one is, if not one's best, then at very least one's most authentic self. I always felt that my internal clock was calibrated somewhere between 47 and 53 years old. David Rakoff ageauthenticcalibrate share on social
I cannot escape the feeling that I was, at best, a cancer tourist, that my survival means I dabbled. David Rakoff cancerdabbleescape Change image and share on social
There's nothing particularly wrong with being more pessimistic than optimistic. Optimism is broad-based, non-detail-oriented thinking; pessimism is detail-oriented thinking. David Rakoff basebroaddetail Change image and share on social
Let's face it: professing a deep interest in movies, the absolutely dominant global art form of the last century, is at this point like professing an interest in air. Passion is nice. Erudition is admirable. But it's like that moment when good manners cross over into meaningless etiquette. David Rakoff absolutelyadmirableair share on social
Unless one is planning to go shopping - basically begging to be smothered by the ravening throngs of returners and bargain hunters; an embrace as constricting as that hugging machine designed by autistic author Temple Grandin - then Boxing Day feels like a bar after last call when the lights have been turned up. David Rakoff authorautisticbar share on social
Before I sat down and became a writer, before I began to do it habitually and for my living, there was a decades-long stretch when I was terrified that it would suck, so I didn't write. I think that marks a lot of people, a real terror at being bad at something, and unfortunately, you are always bad before you can get a little better. David Rakoff badbegindecade share on social
I am the world's worst reporter. I am apt to try too hard to help rather than just document my subjects. David Rakoff aptbaddocument Change image and share on social
It's rare that I'm not at work on some sort of craft project. I've often enthused about the need to make things; how it employs a unique set of muscles - physical, intellectual, spiritual - that I can attain a state of flow when making something that I almost never can when writing. David Rakoff attaincraftemploy share on social