Commonplace Things

One of my least favorite quotations is this popular one by Jack Kerouac:

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars...”

To be fair, it’s beautifully written, and Kerouac is perfectly entitled to his own preferences.  I dislike this quotation because so many people seem to feel it’s a laudable and relatable sentiment, and I just couldn’t disagree more.

People who “never yawn or say a commonplace thing” are exhausting – and, ultimately, dull.  The best people don’t care about what is, or is not, commonplace; they are concerned only with what is funny, beautiful, useful, or true.  They’re not constantly chasing a high, drug-induced or otherwise; they understand that the lows have meaning, and the middle places have value, and that life is not a highlight reel.  The best people are not terrified of mediocrity or convention, or even a certain amount of complacency.  They strive for balance, they’re interested in process, and they’re willing to invest deeply, and consistently, in unspectacular but important things.

The mad ones can be enormously stimulating, especially when you’re a teenager.  But it’s the sane ones you want to give your heart to.  They’re the ones who know what to do with it.