Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 373

"I’m a neuroscience researcher.""If you could give one...

"I’m a neuroscience researcher."
"If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be?"
"Listen to your inner voice."
"You’re a scientist. Isn’t ‘inner voice’ a spiritual term?"
"Bullshit! You’ll hear scientists talking about following their inner voice as much as you’d hear a musician or a priest."
"So how do you know which of your thoughts are your true inner voice?"
"All of them are! The question is— how much weight do you give them? How much authority do you give your own thoughts? Are you taking them seriously? Or are you sitting in front of the damn tube letting other people tell you what to think?"

"My grandfather helped raise me because my father wasn’t...

"My grandfather helped raise me because my father wasn’t around. One day, after I got in trouble at school, he pulled me aside, and told me: ‘Your mother is having a hard time, so she’s not going to say it. But you need to work harder.’ Then he told me about how he immigrated from Honduras, and how he had to work very hard. And he told me about how hard my mother was working. And he said it was like a chain. And that I needed to honor their hard work, by working harder."

"I’m a little headstrong at work, which can get me in...

"I’m a little headstrong at work, which can get me in trouble with my manager. But if my way works just fine, why do we have to do things his way?"

"If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of...

"If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people? What would it be?"
"Follow your dreams."
"Did you follow your dreams?"
"Well, I started as a copy boy for the Daily News, going to school at night. And eventually I became editor of the New York Times Magazine and wrote 12 bestselling books. So, yes."

"I once had a small role in a Darren Aronofsky film. I was a...

"I once had a small role in a Darren Aronofsky film. I was a warlord."

"At the age of 12, I was forced to marry a stranger."

"At the age of 12, I was forced to marry a stranger."

"If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of...

"If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be?"
"Have sex with as many people as possible."

"My mom was hooked on crack. We were always alone and never had...

"My mom was hooked on crack. We were always alone and never had any food in the house, so I only ate at school. And we never had any electricity. So every night I had to do my homework in the hallway."
"Do you remember the happiest moment of your life?"
"When I got my scholarship to Georgetown."

"I’ve always been terrified of running into you and having...

"I’ve always been terrified of running into you and having absolutely nothing to say."

"They are about to build two apartment high rises just feet away...

"They are about to build two apartment high rises just feet away from the fourth largest cathedral in the world. It’s the greatest crime in New York City history. And I’m not even religious."