You know the old adage: Plant an expectation, reap a disappointment.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
I will tell you why we have these extraordinary minds and souls, Miss Whittaker," he continued, as though he had not heard her. "We have them because there is a supreme intelligence in the universe, which wishes for communion with us. This supreme intelligence longs to be known. It calls out to us. It draws us close to its mystery, and grants us these remarkable minds, in order that we try to reach for it. It wants us to find it. It wants union with us, more than anything.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the idea that a higher intelligence in the universe seeks connection and understanding with humanity.
In this quote, Elizabeth Gilbert explores the notion that there is a supreme intelligence in the universe that yearns for communion with humanity. This intelligence gifts us with extraordinary minds and souls, encouraging us to seek deeper understanding and connection with the greater mystery of existence. It suggests that our intellectual and spiritual pursuits are not just personal endeavors but are tied to a universal desire for unity and exploration of the divine.
Themes
IntelligenceConnectionUniverseMysteryHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the interconnectedness of all beings, one might reference this quote to emphasize our relationship with the universe.
More from Elizabeth Gilbert
All quotes →Do 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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