The labor into which a heart has poured its whole love--where will it have its say, to excite and inspire, and when?
Yasunari KawabataRead
A secret, if it's kept, can be sweet and comforting, but once it leaks out it can turn on you with a vengeance.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Keeping a secret can provide comfort, but if revealed, it may have negative consequences.
This quote suggests that the act of keeping a secret can create a sense of solace and security; however, the implications of that secret becoming known can lead to unexpected and harsh repercussions. It highlights the dual nature of secrets, where their protective quality can shift dramatically when they are exposed, often resulting in feelings of betrayal or regret.
Themes
SecretComfortConsequencesTrustBetrayal
In practice
Example use cases
When giving a speech about the importance of trust in relationships, this quote illustrates the potential dangers of keeping secrets.
More from Yasunari Kawabata
All quotes βThe woman was silent, her eyes on the floor. Shimamura had come to a point where he knew he was only parading his masculine shamelessness, and yet it seemed likely enough that the woman was familiar with the failing and need not be shocked by it. He looked at her. Perhaps it was the rich lashes of the downcast eyes that made her face seem warm and sensuous. She shook her head very slightly, and again a faint blush spread over her face.
Yasunari KawabataRead
The road was frozen. The village lay quiet under the cold sky. Komako hitched up the skirt of her kimono and tucked it into her obi. The moon shone like a blade frozen in blue ice.
Yasunari KawabataRead
The winter moon becomes a companion, the heart of the priest, sunk in meditation upon religion and philosophy, there in the mountain hall, is engaged in a delicate interplay and exchange with the moon; and it is this of which the poet sings.
Yasunari KawabataRead
Put your soul in the palm of my hand for me to look at, like a crystal jewel. I'll sketch it in words.
Yasunari KawabataRead
Lunatics have no age. If we were crazy, you and I, we might be a great deal younger.
Yasunari KawabataRead
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