Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
I wait. Now the night flows back, the mighty stillness embraces and includes me; I can see the stars again and the world of starlight. I am twenty miles or more from the nearest fellow human, but instead of loneliness I feel loveliness. Loveliness and a quiet exultation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the beauty of solitude in nature, revealing how isolation can foster a deeper appreciation for the world around us.
In this quote, Edward Abbey expresses the profound experience of solitude in nature, emphasizing that distance from others can lead to a beautiful, serene connection with the environment. Instead of feeling lonely, he finds joy and fulfillment in the stillness and beauty of the night sky, suggesting that solitude can provide a unique perspective on life and encourage a sense of peace and connection with the universe.
Themes
SolitudeNatureBeautyStillnessExultation
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in a nature conservation discussion to highlight the importance of solitude in appreciating nature.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes →I love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
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If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
Edward AbbeyRead
The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
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I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
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Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Edward AbbeyRead
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