Guilt is about something you do. Shame is about who you are.

Do you know how you get the urge to clean your room, and it’s no big deal? But when your mom tells you that you have to clean your room, you don’t want to? That’s me, anyway.
BILL KONIGSBERG

Clean Mom Rooms Tell Want
I don’t think about relatability (when writing), I think about the heart of the character.
BILL KONIGSBERG

Character Heart Writing
Straight people have it so much easier. They don’t understand. They can’t. There’s no such thing as openly straight.
BILL KONIGSBERG

Easier People Straight
You can be anything you want, but when you go against who you are inside, it doesn’t feel good.
BILL KONIGSBERG

Feel Feels Good Want
Guilt is about something you do. Shame is about who you are.
BILL KONIGSBERG

About Guilt Shame
The Greeks were smarter than us, and they had different words for different kinds of love. There’s storge, which is family love. That’s not us. There’s eros, which is sexual love.
BILL KONIGSBERG

Different Family Greek Love
Wouldn’t it be nice if we lived in a world where no one thought being gay was even something to ride someone about?
BILL KONIGSBERG

Gay Nice World

More Bill Konigsberg Quotes