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Susan was really busy with one of her bands, and there was about a month when I never left the house. I didn't go out in public; I didn't talk to anyone on the phone -- I went a little psycho. If I hadn't been alone so long, I would not have gone as far as I actually went. But one day I went from wondering what I would look like with a shaved head to 'That's pretty cool.' Then I put my hair in a big envelope and mailed it off to my wife. The funny thing was, I did this really silly, personal thing for no reason, and then all of a sudden it was on MTV News and in Newsweek, and I still hadn't left the house. I thought it was strange, because I don't know how anyone found out about my hair, and I don't know why they cared.

Chris Cornell#27

Mental healthBehaviorFameIsolationPublic life

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About this quote

What does it mean?
Extreme isolation can lead to erratic behavior that gains unexpected public attention.
In plain terms
Being alone too long made me do strange things that became news.
What can you take from it?
Isolation can distort normal behavior and attract scrutiny.

Where it applies

  • extended solitude
  • touring breaks
  • personal crises

Putting it to work

  • monitoring isolation periods
  • recognizing behavioral shifts
  • managing public perception

Questions to consider

  • How much solitude is too much?
  • Why do small acts become public stories?

Another view

Not all eccentric acts result from isolation; some are intentional performance.

More from Chris Cornell

  1. If I wrote a line then questioned it, do I really want people to hear me say that? Is that too personal? That moment of fear meant I should keep it.

    Permalink to quote #26

  2. Oh god, that was like f--king 1112 years ago. Do you miss it?

    Permalink to quote #28

  3. My job isn't to create a body of work that can be understood by anyone. I don't think it's the artist's job to worry about it. When I was making records, and n…

    Permalink to quote #25

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