I mean, it's like we all get our raw materials from our families―but it's up to us whether we build bridges or bombs.
Neal ShustermanRead
He only wishes there were something that would heal the scars in his mind, which he can still feel. He sees his mind now as an archipelago of islands that he labors to build bridges between - and while he's had great success engineering the most spectacular of bridges, he suspects there are some islands that he'll never reach.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the struggle of dealing with mental scars and the effort to connect different parts of the self.
In this quote, Neal Shusterman explores the complexities of mental healing and the challenge of reconciling one's thoughts and experiences. He likens his mind to an archipelago, suggesting that while he has made significant progress in understanding and linking his thoughts (represented by the bridges), there are parts of his psyche that remain isolated and unreachable. This metaphor illustrates the perpetual journey of self-awareness and healing, acknowledging that some emotional wounds might never fully mend.
Themes
HealingMental HealthEmotional ScarsSelf-AwarenessBridges
In practice
Example use cases
During a mental health awareness event, someone might use this quote to highlight the importance of understanding and addressing psychological wounds.
More from Neal Shusterman
All quotes →Either things happen for a reason, or they happen for no reason at all. Either one's life is a thread in a glorious tapestry or humanity is just a hopelessly tangled knot.
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Unwinds didn't go out with a bang-they didn't even go out with a whimper. they went out with the silence of a candle flame pinched between two fingers.
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She smiles at them as they go by and continues to play, making it clear that this furnace of a place, full of planes that cannot fly, is more than it seems. It is a womb of redemption for every Unwind, and fora ll those who fought the Heartland War and lost - which was everybody.
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Words don't hurt you." Which is one of the hugest criminal lies perpetrated by adults against children in this world. Because words hurt more than any physical pain.
Neal ShustermanRead
Which is worse, Risa often wondered, to have tens of thousands of babies that no one wanted or to silently make then go away before they were even born
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