It was true. He was simply a man who didn't know what to do with himself, for he didn't know yet who he was. It's sometimes easier to find a job than to find oneself and John hadn't yet gotten around to doing the first. How could he know who he was? Some find themselves through joy, some through suffering and some through toil. Johnny had till now tried nothing but whisky. A process which left him feeling like somebody new every day.

Nelson Algren, The Man With The Golden Arm