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Bitter words normally evaporate with the moisture of breath, after a quarrel. In order to become permanent, they require transcribers, reporters, complicit black hearts.
Barbara Kingsolver
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Bitter words spoken in anger fade away unless they are documented or remembered by those who choose to hold onto negativity.

This quote by Barbara Kingsolver suggests that while harsh words said in conflict may be fleeting and forgotten as quickly as they are spoken, they can become enduring if they are recorded or if the hearers choose to dwell on them. The idea emphasizes the power of choice in how we remember interpersonal conflicts and the role that external influences play in perpetuating negativity.

Themes

BitterWordsRelationshipsConflictMemory

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a discussion about the impact of words in conflict resolution.

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Empathy is really the opposite of spiritual meanness. It's the capacity to understand that every war is both won and lost. And that someone else's pain is as meaningful as your own.
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