Like the collector, the photographer is animated by a passion that, even when it appears to be for the present, is linked to a sense of the past.
I want to be able to be alone, to find it nourishing - not just a waiting.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the importance of solitude as a source of personal strength and nourishment rather than merely a state of waiting or boredom.
Susan Sontag's quote reflects on the significance of being comfortable in one's own company. It emphasizes the idea that solitude can be a positive and enriching experience, allowing individuals to engage with their thoughts, feelings, and creativity without the distractions of the outside world. This perspective encourages embracing alone time as an opportunity for self-discovery and growth, rather than viewing it as a negative or lonely state.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in a wellness workshop focusing on the benefits of alone time.
More from Susan Sontag
All quotes βScience fiction films are not about science. They are about disaster, which is one of the oldest subjects of art.
Gide and I have attained such perfect intellectual communion that I experience the appropriate labor pains for every thought he gives birth to!
Volume depends precisely on the writer's having been able to sit in a room every day, year after year, alone.
In NY sensuality completely turns into sexuality - no objects for the senses to respond to, no beautiful river, houses, people. Awful smells of the street, and dirt... Nothing except eating, if that, and the frenzy of the bed.
It hurts to love. It's like giving yourself to be flayed and knowing that at any moment the other person may just walk off with your skin.
Similar quotes
Diligence is a good thing, but taking things easy is much more restful.
George Bernard Shaw was right. He summed it all up when he said: "The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not." So don't bother to think about it! Spit on your hands and get busy. Your blood will start circulating; your mind will start ticking-and pretty soon this whole positive upsurge of life in your body will drive worry from your mind. Get busy. Keep busy. It's the cheapest kind of medicine there is on this earth-and one of the best.
We're only human, we're supposed to make mistakes.
Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.
It is disgraceful to live at the cost of one's self-respect. Self-respect is the most vital factor in life. Without it, man is a cipher. To live worthily with self-respect, one has to overcome difficulties. It is out of hard and ceaseless struggle alone that one derives strength, confidence and recognition.
It is surprising to notice that even from the earliest age, man finds the greatest satisfaction in feeling independent. The exalting feeling of being sufficient to oneself comes as a revelation.