You know the old adage: Plant an expectation, reap a disappointment.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
I am far more of a loner than people would imagine. But I am the most gregarious and socially interactive loner you ever met. The thing is, I am fascinated by people's stories and I'm very talkative and can't ever say no to anything or anyone, so I tend to over-socialize, to give away too much of my time to the many people I adore.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the complexity of being a social person who also values solitude.
In this quote, Elizabeth Gilbert expresses the duality of her nature as a person who enjoys solitude while simultaneously being highly social. She reveals a fascination with others' stories that drives her to be talkative and engaging, leading to a tendency to overcommit her time to social interactions, which can be both enriching and overwhelming. This highlights the balance between enjoying one's own company and the joy of connecting with others.
In practice
This quote could be used in a speech about the nature of introversion and extroversion.
You know the old adage: Plant an expectation, reap a disappointment.
Do not apologize for crying. Without this emotion, we are only robots.
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.
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?
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.
But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilling yearnings.
Strange how complicated we can make things just to avoid showing what we feel!
Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.
I was young I was so young it hurt like a knife inside because there was no alternative except to hide as long as possible--- not in self-pity but with dismay at my limited chance: trying to connect.
While Donald Trump is busy insulting one group after another, Hillary Clinton understands that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. Yes. We become stronger when black and white, Latino, Asian-American, Native American - when all of us stand together.
I cried a river of tears but he was too heavy to float on them. So I dragged him with me these years across an ocean.
I tend to see the similarities in people and not the differences.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.