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You go into a room and you know where you're welcome; you know where you're unwelcome.Sometimes in a hostile situation you stick around because hostility itself is important.The people who are garrulous and wear their heart on their sleeve and tell you everything, that's one kind of person, but the fellow who's hiding behind a tree and hoping you don't see him is the fellow that you'd better find out why.
Dorothea Lange
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the importance of understanding social dynamics and recognizing where one is accepted or not.

Dorothea Lange's quote speaks to the complexities of human interaction and the nuances of our social environments. It suggests that in any gathering, there are implicit cues about acceptance and rejection, and it encourages one to be aware of the underlying emotions and motivations in both welcoming and hostile situations. By observing various behaviors, such as overt expressions of feelings versus subtle actions, we can better comprehend the true dynamics at play.

Themes

RelationshipsSocial DynamicsAcceptanceHostilityPerception

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used during a workshop about interpersonal relationships.

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