Love is generally confused with dependence; but in point of fact, you can love only in proportion to your capacity for independence.
Rollo MayRead
It is an obvious fact that when an age is torn loose from its moorings and everyone is to some degree thrown on his own, most people can take steps to find and realize themselves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
In times of upheaval, individuals often seek to discover their true selves.
Rollo May suggests that during periods of significant change or instability, individuals are compelled to reflect on their identities and values. This process of seeking and realizing oneself becomes more pressing when societal structures and norms break down, leading many to explore their individuality and purpose in life.
Themes
Self-DiscoveryChangeIdentitySelf-Realization
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal growth and learning through adversity.
More from Rollo May
All quotes →To love means to open ourselves to the negative as well as the positive - to grief, sorrow, and disappointment as well as to joy, fulfillment, and an intensity of consciousness we did not know was possible before
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Terrorism and the whole drug scene are vivid examples of the fact that what persons abhor most of all in life is the possibility that they will not matter.
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Humor is the healthy way of feeling "distance" between one's self and the problem, a way of standing off and looking at one's problem with perspective.
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Beauty is the experience that gives us a sense of joy and a sense of peace simultaneously.
Rollo MayRead
The poet, like the lover, is a menace on the assembly line.
Rollo MayRead
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