If they tell you that she died of sleeping pills you must know that she died of a wasting grief, of a slow bleeding at the soul.
Interpretation
The quote illustrates how external reasons can overshadow the deeper emotional pain that leads to someone's demise.
Clifford Odets' quote captures the profound impact of grief on an individual, suggesting that while it may appear that a person succumbed to substances, the true cause is much deeper - a relentless and consuming sorrow that affects their very essence. It emphasizes that the visible signs of distress often mask a more complex emotional struggle, urging us to look beyond superficial explanations for one's suffering.
In practice
During a memorial service, to emphasize the complexity of loss.
People say, on the raft, you must have hallucinated. Baloney. We were sharper after 47 days than the day we started because our minds were empty of all the war and contamination; we had clean minds to fill with good thoughts. Every day we'd exercise our minds.
Only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes.
Cheating is a sin, but honest cunning is simply prudence. It is a virtue. To be sure, it has a likeness to roguery, but that cannot be helped. He who has not learned to practice it is a fool.
Cultivating care and concern for others gives rise to a kind of inner strength. No matter what difficulties or problems you face, in this wider context they’ll seem less significant and troubling to you. The inner strength, self-confidence and courage you gain by focussing on others’ needs instead of your own, brings with it a deep, calm sense of satisfaction.
Facts speak plainer than words
Individuals who cannot master their emotions are ill-suited to profit from the investment process.
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