Evidently there are plenty of people in journalism who have neither got what they liked nor quite grown to like what they get. They write pieces they do not much enjoy writing, for papers they totally despise, and the sad process ends by ruining their style and disintegrating their personality, two developments which in a writer cannot be separate, since his personality and style must progress or deteriorate together, like a married couple in a country where death is the only permissible divorce.

Summary

This quote, by A.A. Milne, highlights the plight of journalists who find themselves trapped in a profession where they compromise their true passions and integrity. Many writers in journalism are forced to produce content that goes against their interests, for newspapers that they disdain. As a result, this compromises both their writing style and personality. In the writer's craft, personality and style are intertwined, growing or deteriorating together. Milne metaphorically compares them to a married couple that cannot separate, emphasizing the intimate connection between the two. Ultimately, the quote expresses the detrimental consequences of compromising one's genuine voice and values in the field of journalism.

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