I don't think the world will destroy itself in a nuclear cataclysm. On the contrary, we have the capacity to save ourselves and save the planet, and we will use it.
Isabel AllendeRead
I've been so thoroughly incorporated into the California culture that I practice meditation and go to a therapist, even though I always set a trap: during my meditation I invent stories to keep from being bored, and in therapy I invent stories to keep from boring the psychologist.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the author's experience with meditation and therapy while humorously acknowledging a tendency to create stories for engagement.
Isabel Allende's quote humorously highlights the complexities of self-awareness and engagement in both meditation and therapy. While she embraces elements of California culture, such as mindfulness practices and professional counseling, she admits to her playful inclination to distract herself—whether by inventing stories to stave off boredom during meditation or entertaining her therapist. This insight exposes a common human tendency to seek distraction even in moments meant for introspection and healing.
Themes
MeditationTherapyStoriesBoredomSelf-Awareness
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the influence of cultural practices on mental health.
More from Isabel Allende
All quotes →My mother is a great artist, but she always treated her paintings like minor postcards. Had she pursued it, she would have been a great artist. Instead, she looked down on her art.
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I never try to convey a message, I just want to tell a story. Why that story in particular? I have no idea, but I have learned to surrender to the muse. I become obsessed with a theme or with certain stories; they haunt me for years, and finally, I write them.
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My life is about ups and downs, great joys and great losses.
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I'm interested in people who have to overcome obstacles, people who are not sheltered by the umbrella of the establishment, marginals.
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I'm a writer. In Latin America, they say I'm a Latin-American writer because I also write in Spanish and my books are translated, but I am an American citizen and my books are published here, so I'm also an American writer.
Isabel AllendeRead
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