Most young people were getting jobs in big companies, becoming company men. I wanted to be individual.
Meaning of the quote
The quote suggests that many young people at the time were choosing to work for large companies and become part of the system. However, the writer, Haruki Murakami, wanted to be different and independent. He did not want to simply follow the crowd and become a "company man." Instead, he desired to forge his own path and be an individual.
About Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami is a renowned Japanese author known for his best-selling novels, short stories, and non-fiction works. He has received numerous prestigious awards and has been praised as one of the world’s greatest living novelists, known for his use of magical realist elements in his diverse writing spanning genres like science fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction.
More quotes from Haruki Murakami
It is hard to be an individual in Japan.
Japanese writer (born 1949)
There’s no such thing as perfect writing, just like there’s no such thing as perfect despair.
Japanese writer (born 1949)
I am 55 years old now. It takes three years to write one book. I don’t know how many books I will be able to write before I die. It is like a countdown. So with each book I am praying – please let me live until I am finished.
Japanese writer (born 1949)
In Japan they prefer the realistic style. They like answers and conclusions, but my stories have none. I want to leave them wide open to every possibility. I think my readers understand that openness.
Japanese writer (born 1949)
When I write about a 15-year old, I jump, I return to the days when I was that age. It’s like a time machine. I can remember everything. I can feel the wind. I can smell the air. Very actually. Very vividly.
Japanese writer (born 1949)
Everything passes. Nobody gets anything for keeps. And that’s how we’ve got to live.
Japanese writer (born 1949)
I didn’t want to be a writer, but I became one. And now I have many readers, in many countries. I think that’s a miracle. So I think I have to be humble regarding this ability. I’m proud of it and I enjoy it, and it is strange to say it this way, but I respect it.
Japanese writer (born 1949)
You are 27 or 28 right? It is very tough to live at that age. When nothing is sure. I have sympathy with you.
Japanese writer (born 1949)
Most young people were getting jobs in big companies, becoming company men. I wanted to be individual.
Japanese writer (born 1949)
I lost some of my friends because I got so famous, people who just assumed that I would be different now. I felt like everyone hated me. That is the most unhappy time of my life.
Japanese writer (born 1949)