Quotes by J. D. Salinger
The world's full of phonies, but every now and then, you stumble upon a real one.
You can't escape yourself, no matter how far you run. All you can do is try to make peace with the person you find.
Sometimes, the most rebellious thing you can do is simply be yourself.
The world offers so many exits, it's a wonder anyone stays long enough to truly live.
Sometimes, the most revolutionary thing you can do is simply stay put.
The problem isn't finding yourself, it's what you do once you've been found.
People will always disappoint you. The trick is to find the ones who disappoint you the least.
Growing up is realizing the grown-ups were just making it up as they went along.
Sometimes, the quietest person has observed the loudest chaos.
Don't mistake motion for progress. Sometimes, you're just running in circles.
It’s funny, isn’t it? How we spend so much time pretending, we forget what it means to be real.
Maybe innocence isn't about never doing wrong, but about recognizing it when you do.
Growing up is realizing everyone's just making it up as they go along.
The hardest part isn't finding your voice, it's deciding whether anyone deserves to hear it.
Growing up is mostly learning how to disappoint people without hating yourself.
The most authentic things are often the quietest. Don't mistake the absence of noise for the absence of truth.
The world feels smaller when you realize everyone is just trying not to look as lost as they feel.
Trying to be someone you're not is exhausting. Just be a mess, it's easier.
Everyone's searching for something, even if they don't know what it is.
It’s a funny thing, silence. It can shout louder than any word.
The world's a stage, alright. Just wish they'd give you a decent script before pushing you on.
It's funny how the things you think you want are never the things that truly make you happy.
Sometimes, the only way to find yourself is to get hopelessly lost.
The best stories are the ones that stay with you long after you've closed the book.
We build these elaborate defenses, these walls of indifference, only to find ourselves trapped inside.
The hardest thing isn't admitting you're wrong, it's admitting you cared in the first place.
Don't confuse movement with progress. Sometimes you're just running in circles.
The best stories aren't the ones you tell, but the ones you keep buried deep inside.
People are strange. They want the truth, but they punish you for telling it.
The world's a stage, sure, but some of us are stuck backstage, watching everyone else perform.
The truly brave are the ones who admit they're scared.
The real trouble starts when you try to explain why you’re happy. It’s best left unsaid, a secret smile.
If everyone understood everyone else, there wouldn't be any stories worth telling.
Everybody wants to be special, but nobody wants to do the work of becoming it.
Sometimes, the only way to feel alive is to quietly observe everyone else dying inside.
The world's a stage, alright. But most people are just bad actors reading from a terrible script.
Growing up is mostly learning how to disappoint people gracefully.
Happiness is overrated. Give me genuine, even if it hurts.
Sometimes, the quietest people have the loudest minds.
Sometimes, the only way to win is to simply stop playing.
The truly frightening thing isn't the world, it's becoming like everyone else in it.