Quotes by Alan Ball

In my own life, I think legends of supernatural, mythic things are really just a manifestation of the collective unconscious. So I don't really get freaked out. I mean certainly, you read about things people did to each other in the pursuit of some mystical or occult goal, and it's horrifying. But that's just human nature.

— Alan Ball

Success

I was conveniently bisexual for a long time, and then I went, 'Come on, who am I kidding?' And I have to say, it was the single biggest step I took toward emotional well-being, to stop feeling like I had to hide who I am.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

It's easy to look at the vampires as a metaphor for any feared or misunderstood group. It's also easy to look at them as a metaphor for a shadow organization that says one thing and has a completely different agenda on their mind, and anybody who gets in their way, they just get rid of them. Does that sound familiar?

— Alan Ball

Courage

I guess in America we're so sold on this ideal of the perfect, well-adjusted family that is able to confront any conflict and, with true love and understanding, work things through. I'm sure they do exist, but I never knew any of them.

— Alan Ball

Love

There is a fetishization of victimization in our culture. And I just am not interested in victimhood.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

Life is suffering. We have desires and expectations and egos, and we compare the reality we have, which is miraculous and wondrous, with this reality we desire. That somehow distances us from actually taking part fully with the reality we do have, and that creates suffering. For me, the thing that I love is that it's all about the present moment.

— Alan Ball

Love

I'm at the point in my life where I don't want to work as hard. Actually, I've had to take a good hard look at workaholism and it's effect on one's mental health.

— Alan Ball

Success

I believe forgiveness is possible for everybody, for everything, but I'm a Buddhist.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

Vampires are total sexual metaphors; there's just no way around that.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

I think it's very difficult, and it requires a tremendous amount of spiritual integrity and discipline, to not be a narcissist in a culture that encourages it every step of the way.

— Alan Ball

Courage

I'm 53. I don't care about high school students. I find them irritating and uninformed.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

Racism is ridiculous no matter where it's coming from.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

We live in a time where there's an alienation factor. There's a certain disconnection. We don't have any real sense of community anymore.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

I certainly believe that what we perceive as humans is just the tip of the iceberg. I don't necessarily believe in vampires or werewolves or that kind of thing, but I believe there is definitely a realm we don't necessarily have access to.

— Alan Ball

Life

I'm aware of 'Twilight,' but I've never seen the movies or read any of the books. Frankly, the story leaves me cold - why do a vampire story about abstinence?

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

We live in a patriarchal culture. It's okay for women to be objectified but not for men.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

I'm a Buddhist, so one of my biggest beliefs is, 'Everything changes, don't take it personally.'

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

Death is a companion for all of us, whether we acknowledge it or not, whether we're aware of it or not, and it's not necessarily a terrible thing.

— Alan Ball

Education

The difference between film and TV is the pace. You don't have the leisure of time in television.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

I think sexuality is a window into someone's soul.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

I think vampires are a timeless powerful archetype that can tap into people's psyches.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

And as I stumbled onto Eastern philosophy and Buddhism, it was the first time I had ever read any sort of philosophy that really made a tremendous amount of sense. What I liked that was missing from my experience of Christianity growing up was a sort of acceptance, a sort of being OK with being imperfect and not focusing on the sin.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

I would say try to tell stories that you care about as opposed to stories that you think will sell.

— Alan Ball

Wisdom

Not everything is going to be successful. To strive for that is really naive. You just do the best you can do.

— Alan Ball

Success