You'll lose it, if you talk about it
Interpretation
This quote suggests that discussing something precious can lead to losing it.
Ernest Hemingway's quote highlights the idea that certain thoughts, feelings, or experiences can lose their essence when they are verbalized. By speaking about something deeply personal or valued, we may inadvertently diminish its significance or create pressure that leads to its loss. It serves as a reminder to cherish some aspects of our lives privately, allowing their value to remain intact.
In practice
During a motivational speech about personal experiences, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of privacy.
He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and the lions on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them as he loved the boy. He never dreamed about the boy. He simply woke, looked out the open door at the moon and unrolled his trousers and put them on.
How did you go bankrupt?" Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.
When you have shot one bird flying you have shot all birds flying. They are all different and they fly in different ways but the sensation is the same and the last one is as good as the first.
There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other. We always returned to it no matter who we were or how it was changed or with what difficulties, or ease, it could be reached. Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you brought to it. But this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy.
Wine is the most civilized thing in the world.
There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.
The [Booker] prize was actually responsible in many ways for my political activism. I won this thing and I was suddenly the darling of the new emerging Indian middle class β they needed a princess. They had the wrong woman. I had this light shining on me at the time, and I knew that I had the stage to say something about what was happening in my country. What is exciting about what I have done since is that writing has become a weapon, some kind of ammunition.
People of genius do not excel in any profession because they work in it, they work in it because they excel.
I was lucky to learn early in life that you need money for food and shelter, but there's no ambition in having money in the bank for the sake of it!
It is the function of perfection to make one know one's imperfection.
Words are how people think. When you misuse words, you diminish your ability to think clearly and truthfully.
With pride, there are many curses. With humility, there come many blessings.
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