The next suitable person you’re in light conversation with, you stop suddenly in the middle of the conversation and look at the person closely and say ‘What’s wrong?’ You say it in a concerned way. He’ll say, ‘What do you mean?’ You say, ‘Something’s wrong. I can tell. What is it?’ And he’ll look stunned and say ‘How did you know?’ He doesn’t realize something’s always wrong, with everybody. Often more than one thing. He doesn’t know everybody’s always going around all the time with something wrong and believing they’re exerting great willpower and control to keep other people, for whom they think nothing’s ever wrong, from seeing it. This is the way of people. Suddenly ask what’s wrong, and whether they open up and spill their guts or deny it and pretend you’re off, they’ll think you’re perceptive and understanding. They’ll either be grateful, or they’ll be frightened and avoid you from then on. Both reactions have their use, as we’ll get to. You can play it either way. This works over 90 percent of the time.
David Foster Wallace, The Pale King
  1. theycalledmebetty reblogged this from melecwi
  2. 6x2095 reblogged this from olivialy
  3. jane-fonda reblogged this from barefoot-night
  4. icantwaittosmile reblogged this from cecilysayshello
  5. barefoot-night reblogged this from cecilysayshello
  6. cecilysayshello reblogged this from youreyesaredancing
  7. thesinginglights reblogged this from iambeester
  8. youreyesaredancing reblogged this from iambeester
  9. ttylusa reblogged this from jpegmasterjesse
  10. tywhite reblogged this from melecwi
  11. jpegmasterjesse reblogged this from melecwi
  12. minjikwon reblogged this from melecwi
  13. melecwi reblogged this from slaughterhousefive
  14. wild-and-scenic reblogged this from slaughterhousefive
  15. un-frenesi reblogged this from slaughterhousefive
  16. reise-ins-nichts reblogged this from slaughterhousefive
  17. frood reblogged this from slaughterhousefive
  18. courttie reblogged this from barbieandken
  19. isolatetheradical reblogged this from barbieandken
  20. marydearr reblogged this from theycallme-berry
  21. theycallme-berry reblogged this from embodytheworld
  22. waydownlow reblogged this from everythingisbadforyou
  23. lostinthesefeelings reblogged this from neeksageek
  24. neeksageek reblogged this from slaughterhousefive
  25. photogenocide reblogged this from slaughterhousefive
  26. welcometomybrain reblogged this from barbieandken