I want to just be lazy and I want some of the people around me to be doing things, because that makes me feel comfortable and safe - and I want some of them to be doing nothing at all, because they can be graceful and companionable for me.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a desire for companionship and comfort through both action and stillness among loved ones.
In this quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the speaker articulates a yearning for a relaxed environment where they can feel safe and at ease. The contrast between wanting some people to be active while also appreciating the presence of those who do nothing highlights the importance of relationships that provide both stimulation and serenity, creating a balance that fosters comfort and grace.
In practice
During a cozy gathering, I might share this quote to express my appreciation for both lively conversations and peaceful moments with friends.
Don't be so anxious about it,' she laughed. 'I'm not used to being loved. I wouldn't know what to do; I never got the trick of it.' She looked down at him, shy and fatigued. 'So here we are. I told you years ago that I had the makings of Cinderella.' He took her hand; she drew it back instinctively and then replaced it in his. 'Beg your pardon. Not even used to being touched. But I'm not afraid of you, if you stay quiet and don't move suddenly.
The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.
It was about then [1920] that I wrote a line which certain people will not let me forget: "She was a faded but still lovely woman of twenty-seven."
The words seemed to bite physically into Gatsby.
But you can love more than just one person, can't you?
A sudden gust of rain blew over them and then another - as if small liquid clouds were bouncing along the land. Lightning entered the sea far off and the air blew full of crackling thunder. The table cloths blew around the pillars. They blew and blew and blew. The flags twisted around the red chairs like live things, the banners were ragged, the corners of the table tore off through the burbling billowing ends of the cloths.
It's not a good idea to put your wife into a novel; not your latest wife anyway.
I'm never going to get married." "You're crazy." Buddy brightened. "You'll change your mind." "No. My mind's made up.
But, in this separation I associate you only with the good and I will faithfully hold you to that always, for you have done far more good than harm, let me feel now what sharp distress I may.
The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists of listening to them. Just as love of God begins with listening to his word, so the beginning of love for our brothers and sisters is learning to listen to them.
Now let me be clear; millions of women around the world nurse their children beautifully for years without giving anybody else a hard time about it. Teat Nazis are a solely western upper-middle-class phenomenon occurring when highly ambitious women experience deprivation from outside modes of achievement.
Don't keep a man guessing too long - he's sure to find the answer somewhere else.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.