Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 473

"It’s amazing how little ability we have to shape the...

"It’s amazing how little ability we have to shape the lives of our children. You do what you can, but their personalities are predominantly formed by the times they live in, their friends, and other influences. Parenting is sort of like pulling back the lever of a pinball machine, and just letting the ball fly."

"What was the happiest moment of your life?"“When I got...

"What was the happiest moment of your life?"

“When I got hit by a car.”

“When you got hit by a car?”

“They gave me $16,000.”

She told me she was trying to be more open about her feelings....

She told me she was trying to be more open about her feelings. “I’m open with my opinions,” she said. “But not my feelings. Especially with people close to me.”

“What feelings specifically?” I asked.

Then her girlfriend came and sat next to her.

And I never found out. :)

This woman was sitting across from me last night on the subway,...

This woman was sitting across from me last night on the subway, working intently on a crossword puzzle. The man next to her leaned in, and said: “Can I help you?”

“Not if you want to be my friend,” she said. “One time I spent all day on one of these things, and the motherfucker next to me shouted out the last answer.”

I tried to give him a tip, but he waved me off. “I’m...

I tried to give him a tip, but he waved me off. “I’m just blessing people with my music,” he said. Afterwards another confused man walked up, searched for a bucket, then just ended up laying his dollar on top of the closed case.

If any of you drove by the Brooklyn Navy Yards at 6 PM last...

If any of you drove by the Brooklyn Navy Yards at 6 PM last night, you may have seen a grown man sobbing in an empty parking lot. It completely blindsided me. I’d been watching O’Reilly’s numbers the last couple weeks, and they were so incredibly high that I’d written this off as a possibility. It was a miracle, really. Thanks to every single one of you. We made this happen by the skin of our teeth, and every. single. book. counted. I’m deliriously happy to present, The #1 New York Times Bestselling— Humans of New York.

"I’m an interactive designer."“You mean...

"I’m an interactive designer."

“You mean websites?”

“Well, yes, but I’m also interested in installations and physical computing.”

“So how would you describe good design?”

“I try to design a playful experience for the user.”

“How do you do that? By being playful?”

“Oh no. It’s a painful process to make something playful.”

"In 1969, my parents were sent to the countryside as part of the...

"In 1969, my parents were sent to the countryside as part of the Cultural Revolution. Ask anyone from China, they will know what I’m talking about. I was only eight years old, and I lived alone in my house for three years. There was one other girl with me. She was eleven, and her parents had also been sent away. Nothing really seems like a struggle compared to that. I worked three jobs when I first moved here, while going to school. But even then it seemed like the hard days were behind me."

"She’d never tell you, but she’s an acclaimed...

"She’d never tell you, but she’s an acclaimed documentary filmmaker. She’s documenting civil disobedience in Palestine."

“Cool. So tell me something about civil disobedience.”

"Nonviolent disobedience is strategic for many reasons. One, it’s an important way to attract attention and compassion from the international community. Also, it’s the only type of response that can include the entire community. Violence is more exclusive, and can only happen in pockets. Nonviolence can involve everyone, and can help leave behind a sense of community after the objectives of the disobedience have been met."

"This is our father. He lived in New York for twenty years, so...

"This is our father. He lived in New York for twenty years, so we’re taking him back on a vacation."

“What’s your father’s best quality?”

“I’d say his joy in scientific discovery, and his joy of sharing it with others. He was a chemical engineer at Mobil, and when we were growing up, he’d always be pointing out birds and rocks and salamanders to the neighborhood kids. Especially that one critter that lived in the hills, and made all those little holes, what was that called?”

Then the old man, who had to this point been silent, said: “Trapdoor spider.”