You fall out of your mother's womb, you crawl across open country under fire, and drop into your grave.
Quentin CrispRead
It is explained that all relationships require a little give and take. This is untrue. Any partnership demands that we give and give and give and at the last, as we flop into our graves exhausted, we are told that we didn't give enough.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True partnerships involve selfless giving, often without expectation of reciprocation.
Quentin Crisp's quote highlights the common misconception that healthy relationships are balanced exchanges of give and take. Instead, he suggests that real partnerships often involve an overwhelming amount of giving, where individuals may feel they are never able to give enough, even up to the end of their lives. This perspective emphasizes the sacrificial nature of deep connections and the potential for emotional exhaustion that can accompany such commitments.
Themes
RelationshipsGivingPartnershipSacrificeLove
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about commitment in relationships during a workshop.
More from Quentin Crisp
All quotes →The consuming desire of most human beings is deliberately to plant their whole life in the hands of some other person. I would describe this method of searching for happiness as immature. Development of character consists solely in moving toward self-sufficiency.
Quentin CrispRead
What would you be like if you were the only person in the world? If you want to be truly happy you must be that person.
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The search for a life-style involves a journey to the interior. This is not altogether a pleasant experience, because you not only have to take stock of what you consider your assets but you also have to take a long look at what your friends call “the trouble with you.” Nevertheless, the journey is worth making.
Quentin CrispRead
If you describe things as better than they are, you are considered to be a romantic; if you describe things as worse than they are, you will be called a realist; and if you describe things exactly as they are, you will be thought of as a satirist.
Quentin CrispRead
The flagrantly gay Quentin Crisp dealt with homophobic bullying by refusing to bow to its onslaught. His number listed in the phone directory, he responded to derogatory remarks accompanied with a stated intent to kill him by asking, "Would you like to make an appointment?"
Quentin CrispRead
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