The bad thing about falling into pieces is that it hurts. The good thing about it is that once you're lying there in shards you've got nothing left to protect, and so have no reason not to be honest
Interpretation
Embracing vulnerability allows for genuine honesty and self-discovery.
David James Duncan's quote highlights the dual nature of experiencing emotional pain; while it can be challenging to face the aftermath of personal struggles, the resulting vulnerability presents an opportunity for authentic self-expression. When one finds themselves 'in shards', it signifies a moment of truth where pretense is shed, leading to deeper honesty and connection with oneself and others.
In practice
During a therapy session, someone might reference this quote to illustrate the importance of being honest about their struggles.
Then in October, Indian Summer, the air turned so soft, the sunlight so fragile, and each day's loveliness so poignantly doomed that even self-ignorance and restlessness felt like profound states of being, and he just wandered the empty beaches and misty headlands in a state of serene confusion and awe.
We all dream things into being; you imagine yourself having a child, and then you have a child. An inventor will think of something in his mind and then make it actual. So things are often passing from the imagined realm into the real world.
Wherever you are is the entry point.
It's not just words. Action expresses priorities.
Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.
Uncertainty is the friend of the buyer of long term values.
Every human being should be taught that his first duty is to take care of himself, and that to be self-respecting he must be self-supporting. To live on the labor of others, either by force which enslaves, or by cunning which robs, or by borrowing or begging, is wholly dishonorable. Every man should be taught some useful art.
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