We burned with love for ourselves, all of us, starters of the fire we suffered- our love was the affliction for which only our love was the cure.
Jonathan Safran FoerRead
She was not crying Which surprised me very much But I understand now That she had found places For her melancholy That were behind more masks Than only her eyes
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the subtlety of human emotions and how people can hide their sadness beneath an outward appearance.
In this quote, Jonathan Safran Foer explores the complexity of human emotions, highlighting that sadness is often concealed behind outward expressions. The mention of 'masks' implies that individuals may display a façade to the world while grappling with their internal struggles, suggesting that understanding someone's true feelings requires looking beyond surface appearances.
Themes
EmotionsSadnessHuman NatureMaskUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a discussion about emotional intelligence in relationships.
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What do babies dream of? She must be dreaming of the before-life, just as I dream of the afterlife.
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A few weeks after the worst day, I started writing lots of letters. I don't know why, but it was one of the only things that made my boots lighter.
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What is being awake if not interpreting our dreams, or dreaming if not interpreting our wake?
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Just how destructive does a culinary preference have to be before we decide to eat something else? If contributing to the suffering of billions of animals that live miserable lives and (quite often) die in horrific ways isn't motivating, what would be? If being the number one contributor to the most serious threat facing the planet (global warming) isn't enough, what is? And if you are tempted to put off these questions of conscience, to say not now, then when?
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