Sometimes people use thought to not participate in life.

Bill, in Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999)

Genuine

Yes. In a letter of October 6, 1991, in Bill’s talk with Charlie, just before ‘we accept the love we think we deserve’ (about p. 26–27; letter and page inferred, the page itself not read), said by Bill. These are the character’s words, not a statement in Chbosky’s own voice.

Checked against Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (London: Simon & Schuster, 2012). First published New York: Pocket Books (MTV Books), February 1999, about p. 26–27 (Simon & Schuster, London, 2012; the page of the line itself was not read), in the text of a page scan, not the image.

Work
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, 1999
Where
Letter of October 6, 1991, in Bill’s talk with Charlie, just before ‘we accept the love we think we deserve’ (about p. 26–27; letter and page inferred, the page itself not read)
Source
Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (London: Simon & Schuster, 2012). First published New York: Pocket Books (MTV Books), February 1999, about p. 26–27 (Simon & Schuster, London, 2012; the page of the line itself was not read)
Checked
In the text of a page scan, not the image

Researched by AI. Entry updated 25 October 2026. Editorial review: pending. How we check

About this quote

Where it comes from

First published in the novel (Pocket Books / MTV Books, February 1999); the 2012 London edition has the words as given. Searched: the Internet Archive’s full text for ‘use thought to not participate in life’.

The scene

Bill, the English teacher who has noticed Charlie watching people, asks him after class whether he always thinks this much. Charlie, who just wants someone to tell him the truth, asks whether that is bad. Bill’s answer is this; Charlie asks again whether that is bad, and the talk goes on to his sister, and to the line about accepting the love we think we deserve.

What it means

Thinking about life can be a way of staying out of it: some people watch and reflect so as not to take part.

Often misread

Quoted as a general warning against overthinking. In the book it is a teacher’s gentle diagnosis of one shy boy who watches everyone from the edge (the ‘wallflower’ of the title), said to push him to join in, and Bill does not say that thinking is bad: ‘Not necessarily.’ It is Bill’s line as Charlie reports it, not Chbosky’s own saying.

Topics

Life, Reason, Wisdom

Related quotes

Sources

Cite it

Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999), Letter of October 6, 1991, in Bill’s talk with Charlie, just before ‘we accept the love we think we deserve’ (about p. 26–27; letter and page inferred, the page itself not read). Spoken by Bill. Checked at Quotogeny, https://quotogeny.com/q/people-use-thought-to-not-participate-in-life/ (25 October 2026).

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Checked by people

People who checked this entry against its source, under their own names. Their checks do not change the verdict: an editor reviews every entry.

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