Life with most teenagers was like having a low-grade bladder infection. It hurts, but you had to tough it out.
Anne LamottRead
And that almost everyone was struggling to wake up, to be loved, and not feel so afraid all the time. That's what the cars, degrees, booze, and drugs were about.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the universal struggles of people seeking love and overcoming fear, often resorting to material distractions.
Anne Lamott's quote addresses the common human experience of striving for fulfillment and connection in a world filled with anxiety. It suggests that beneath the surface of people's actions—such as accumulating possessions or engaging in self-destructive behaviors—lies a deeper longing for love and security. The mention of 'cars, degrees, booze, and drugs' serves as a commentary on how society often distracts itself from the fundamental emotional needs that drive our behaviors and choices.
Themes
LoveFearStruggleConnectionHuman Experience
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about mental health awareness, you could say, 'As Anne Lamott pointed out, many people are simply trying to wake up and be loved.'
More from Anne Lamott
All quotes →Or you might shout at the top of your lungs or whisper into your sleeve, "I hate you, God." That is a prayer too, because it is real, it is truth, and maybe it is the first sincere thought you've had in months.
Anne LamottRead
Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are.
Anne LamottRead
It is hard to remember that you are a cherished spiritual being when you're burping up apple fritters and Cheetos.
Anne LamottRead
Gorgeous, amazing things come into our lives when we are paying attention: mangoes, grandnieces, Bach, ponds. This happens more often when we have as little expectation as possible. If you say, "Well, that's pretty much what I thought I'd see," you are in trouble. At that point you have to ask yourself why you are even here. [...] Astonishing material and revelation appear in our lives all the time. Let it be. Unto us, so much is given. We just have to be open for business.
Anne LamottRead
...because when people have seen you at their worst, you don't have to put on the mask as much.
Anne LamottRead
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Unhappy is he to whom the memories of childhood bring only fear and sadness.
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I realized that very young - that a life where you don't live to your full potential, or you don't experiment, or you're afraid, or you hesitate, or there are things you know you should do but you just don't get around to them, is a life that I'd be miserable living, and the only way to feel that I'm on the right path is just to be true to myself, whatever that may be, and that tends to come with stepping out of something that's maybe safe or traditional.
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People think that their world will get smaller as they get older. My experience is just the opposite. Your senses become more acute. You start to blossom.
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