Sadness is more or less like a head cold - with patience, it passes. Depression is like cancer.
Barbara KingsolverRead
Misunderstanding is my cornerstone. It's everyone's, come to think of it. Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses that misunderstandings are fundamental to human experience and that many of our perceived truths are actually illusions.
In this quote, Barbara Kingsolver reflects on the nature of human perception, suggesting that misunderstanding is a universal experience that shapes our reality. She highlights how we often confuse illusions for truths, which forms the basis of our understanding and interactions with the world. This acknowledgment of the inherent flaws in our perceptions can lead to greater empathy and connection among individuals, recognizing that everyone grapples with misconceptions.
Themes
MisunderstandingIllusionTruthPerceptionHuman Experience
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion about relationships, this quote could remind others how easily misunderstandings can arise and the importance of clear communication.
More from Barbara Kingsolver
All quotes βChildren can be your heartache. But that doesn't matter, you have to go on and have them . . . it works out.
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I'm of a fearsome mind to throw my arms around every living librarian who crosses my path, on behalf of the souls they never knew they saved.
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I did it to win love, and to prove myself capable. Not to move mountains. In my opinions, mountains don't move. They only look changed when you look down on them from great height.
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Memory is a complicated thing, a relative to truth, but not its twin.
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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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