You know the old adage: Plant an expectation, reap a disappointment.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
Childlessness doesn't make people selfish; selfishness makes people selfish.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights that the absence of children does not inherently lead to selfishness; instead, selfish behavior stems from individual character traits.
In this quote, Elizabeth Gilbert emphasizes that the decision to remain childless should not be automatically associated with selfishness. She argues that selfishness is a quality of a person's character rather than a consequence of their life choices, such as whether or not they choose to have children. By distinguishing between the two, the quote encourages a deeper understanding of human motivations and the complexities of personal choices.
Themes
ChildlessnessSelfishnessCharacterChoicesPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on family planning, one might use this quote to challenge assumptions about childless couples.
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All quotes βDo not apologize for crying. Without this emotion, we are only robots.
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I had always been taught that the pursuit of happiness was my natural (even national) birthright. It is the emotional trademark of my culture to seek happiness. Not just any kind of happiness, either, but profound happiness, even soaring happiness. And what could possibly bring a person more soaring happiness than romantic love.
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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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And when you sense a faint potentiality for happiness after such dark times you must grab onto the ankles of that happiness and not let go until it drags you face-first out of the dirt - this is not selfishness, but obligation. You were given life; it is your duty to find something beautiful within life no matter how slight.
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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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