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Cecilia wondered, as she sometimes did when she met a man for the first time, if this was the one she was going to marry, and whether it was this particular moment she would remember for the rest of her life - with gratitude, or profound and particular regret.
Ian Mcewan
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on the uncertainty and significance of first encounters in romantic relationships.

In this quote, Cecilia contemplates the weight of a first meeting with a man, questioning whether this moment will be cherished as a milestone in her life or regretted. It illustrates the dual potential of pivotal moments in love, where they can lead to lasting happiness or deep sorrow, emphasizing the importance of choices in relationships.

Themes

LoveFirst MeetingRegretMemoryRelationship

In practice

Example use cases

During a toast at a wedding, reflecting on how crucial first impressions can lead to a lifelong partnership.

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Watching him during the first several minutes of his delivery, Cecilia felt a pleasant sinking sensation in her stomach as she contemplated how deliciously self-destructive it would be, almost erotic, to be married to a man so nearly handsome, so hugely rich, so unfathomably stupid. He would fill her with his big-faced children, all of them loud, boneheaded boys with a passion for guns and football and aeroplanes.
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And now she was back in the world, not one she could make, but the one that had made her, and she felt herself shrinking under the early evening sky. She was weary of being outdoors, but she was not ready to go in. Was that really all there was in life, indoors or out? Wasn't there somewhere else for people to go?
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A little wisdom, now and then

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Quote by Ian Mcewan | QuoteProject