Stephen Chbosky Quotes

American writer and film director

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Stephen Chbosky (born January 25, 1970) is an American film director, screenwriter, and author. He is best-known for writing the bestselling coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999), and writing and directing its 2012 film adaptation. He also directed drama Wonder (2017) and the 2021 film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen. His first psychological horror novel, Imaginary Friend, was published in October 2019.

From: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Maybe it’s sad that these are now memories. And maybe it’s not sad.

Try to be a filter, not a sponge.

I walked over to the hill where we used to go and sled. There were a lot of little kids there. I watched them flying. Doing jumps and having races. And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn't.

And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have. Good and bad.

You can't just sit there and put everyone's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can't. You have to do things.

It's just hard to see a friend hurt this much. Especially when you can't do anything except 'be there.' I just want to make him stop hurting, but I can't. So I just follow him around whenever he wants to show me his world.

Asleep by the Smiths
Vapour Trail by Ride
Scarborough Fair by Simon & Garfunkel
A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum
Dear Prudence by the Beatles
Gypsy by Suzanne Vega
Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues
Daydream by Smashing Pumpkins
Dusk by Genesis (before Phil Collins was even in the band!)
MLK by U2
Blackbird by the Beatles
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Asleep by the Smiths (again!)

-Charlie's mixtape

Downtown. Lights on buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.

Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

It’s much easier not to know things sometimes.

If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don't want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it, too. I want them to be able to do whatever they want around me.

I don't even remember the season. I just remember walking between them and feeling for the first time that I belonged somewhere.

"I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and then make the choice to share it with other people. Maybe that is what makes people "participate.

If you care about somebody, you should want them to be happy. Even if you wind up being left out.

What about when someone doesn't need a shoulder? What if they need the arms?