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It's not an accident that both my sister and I are writers. Our parents created an accidental Petri dish. My family has great storytellers, and I grew up in a very funny, conversational house and didn't have television. This small family farm was a bubble world that didn't have much to do with reality.
Elizabeth Gilbert
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The environment we grow up in shapes our abilities and passions.

In this quote, Elizabeth Gilbert reflects on how her upbringing in a storytelling-rich environment influenced her and her sister to become writers. She highlights the importance of family dynamics and the unique circumstances of their upbringing, which fostered creativity and communication in the absence of modern distractions like television.

Themes

StorytellingFamilyCreativityWritersUpbringing

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a seminar about the influence of family on career choices.

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When I tried this morning, after an hour or so of unhappy thinking, to dip back into my meditation, I took a new idea with me: compassion. I asked my heart if it could please infuse my soul with a more generous perspective on my mind's workings. Instead of thinking that I was a failure, could I perhaps accept that I am only a human being--and a normal one, at that?
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But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilling yearnings.
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