[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f1W0yI7aCctIE_CcTC1yi2hbxQxXr28_SSqOi9pIn7rM":3,"$f0kOVAotktFghecDc-IaeMxIlvPozbXp3zeGduMS3tG8":16},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},13219,"Tao Lin","T",136,null,"tao-lin",[12],{"tag_id":13,"tag_name":14,"tag_count":15},56,"thinking",15,{"quotes":17,"pagination":82},[18,26,33,39,45,51,58,64,70,76],{"id":19,"quote_text":20,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":23,"source":24,"quote_tag":25,"commentary":9},3963005,"I like part-time jobs in restaurants.",7,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":27,"quote_text":28,"author_id":5,"source_id":29,"has_image":22,"author":30,"source":31,"quote_tag":32,"commentary":9},3464212,"Thousands of years from now they will use my fossil remains as an example of a mistake in the evolutionary process.",6,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":34,"quote_text":35,"author_id":5,"source_id":29,"has_image":22,"author":36,"source":37,"quote_tag":38,"commentary":9},3464211,"He wished his mom had stayed in Taiwan. Raised him here, native. He wished his mom had died early, leaving him to do things for himself. Neil wished for 10 percent increases in kindness, tolerance, social skills, confidence and attractiveness and then felt cheated in life by 10 percent.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":40,"quote_text":41,"author_id":5,"source_id":29,"has_image":22,"author":42,"source":43,"quote_tag":44,"commentary":9},3464208,"A world without right or wrong was a world that did not want itself, anything other than itself, or anything not those two things, but that still wanted something. A world without right or wrong invited you over, complained about you, and gave you cookies. Don’t leave, it said, and gave you a vegan cookie. It avoided eye contact, but touched your knee sometimes. It was the world without right or wrong. It didn’t have any meaning. It just wanted a little meaning.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":46,"quote_text":47,"author_id":5,"source_id":29,"has_image":22,"author":48,"source":49,"quote_tag":50,"commentary":9},3464207,"I’d like to disappear one day... I get the feeling sometimes that I can do that. It’s like there’s some place I really want to go to, and I’m not sure where, but I can still go. I think I’d really like that. I’d sit down one afternoon. I’d say, “Okay now, Susan, time to go.” Clasp my hands or something. Then I’d do it. I’d just be gone then. No one would know. I wouldn’t even know.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":52,"quote_text":53,"author_id":5,"source_id":29,"has_image":22,"author":54,"source":55,"quote_tag":56,"commentary":57},3464205,"He asked if there were more things she had lied about. She said she had to think. She said she was still thinking. After about two minutes she said she was still thinking.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\n\nThis poignant exchange is likely from Tao Lin's novel \"Richard Yates\" (2010), which explores themes of identity, authenticity, and relationships in the contemporary American experience. The narrative style mirrors the introspective, fragmented nature of modern life, often blurring the lines between reality and fiction.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nOn its surface, this exchange appears to be a mundane conversation about honesty. However, it reveals a profound insight into human psychology: people's ability to engage in prolonged periods of self-deception, even when faced with evidence that contradicts their narrative. This moment highlights the tension between our desire for self-preservation and the need to confront uncomfortable truths.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nWhen facing difficult choices or contradictions in your own life, try the \"two-minute rule\": allocate a brief period (just like the protagonist) to deliberate, but then commit to making a decision without further deliberation. By acknowledging the initial instinct for self-deception and choosing to move forward despite uncertainty, you can cultivate a healthier relationship with ambiguity and authenticity.\n\nAs a Behavioral Psychologist, I note that this strategy leverages the psychological concept of \"implementation intention,\" where individuals make specific plans to overcome procrastination or indecision by setting time-bound goals. By adopting this approach, modern professionals and creatives can develop greater resilience in navigating complex situations and avoiding analysis paralysis.",{"id":59,"quote_text":60,"author_id":5,"source_id":29,"has_image":22,"author":61,"source":62,"quote_tag":63,"commentary":9},3464186,"I think Bret Easton Ellis has said that he doesn’t completely identify with his characters. And I think he has referred to them as immoral before.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":65,"quote_text":66,"author_id":5,"source_id":29,"has_image":22,"author":67,"source":68,"quote_tag":69,"commentary":9},3464182,"The gate has a secret passcode. Sara has a secret passcode. She should. Andrew would stand there for years trying combinations. He wouldn’t keep track or develop a strategy but just continue trying different combinations and then Kafka would rise from the grave and write a novel about him.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":71,"quote_text":72,"author_id":5,"source_id":29,"has_image":22,"author":73,"source":74,"quote_tag":75,"commentary":9},3464179,"Sam looked at the sky to see if there were a lot of stars. There seemed to be a normal amount of stars.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":77,"quote_text":78,"author_id":5,"source_id":29,"has_image":22,"author":79,"source":80,"quote_tag":81,"commentary":9},3464176,"It seems like for the last 10 years, I’ve just been investing in the future.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"currentPage":83,"totalPages":84,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":85},1,14,10]