The poet is one who is able to keep the fresh vision of the child alive.
Anais NinRead
Many couples, many people, are not living with real human beings, but with their ghosts. Who has not followed for years the spell of a particular tone of voice, from voice to voice, as the fetishist follows a beautiful foot, scarcely seeing the woman herself? A voice, a mouth, an eye, all stemming from the original fountain of our first desire, directing it, enslaving us, until we choose to unravel the fatal web and free ourselves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the tendency of individuals to become enamored with the superficial attributes of their partners instead of their true selves.
Anais Nin’s quote examines the phenomenon of people becoming entranced by the superficial qualities of their partners—like their voice or physical features—rather than engaging with their authentic selves. It suggests that many relationships are based on these surface-level attractions, creating a disconnect where true understanding and connection are lost. The idea of 'ghosts' implies that these relationships are often hollow, as they are constructed from idealized versions of a person rather than their real essence. Ultimately, Nin encourages individuals to break free from these illusions to achieve genuine connections.
Themes
RelationshipsSelf-DiscoveryLoveAuthenticityIllusion
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the importance of authenticity in relationships.
More from Anais Nin
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We celebrate peace. Yet we pay no attention to the ways of curing aggression in human beings. And when one sees in psychoanalysis hostility disappearing as people conquer their fears, one wonders if the cure is not there.
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The impetus to grow and live intensely is so powerful in me I cannot resist it. I will work, I will love my husband, but I will fulfill myself.
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We have been poisoned by fairy tales.
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But I lie. I embellish. My words are not deep enough. They disguise, they conceal. I will not rest until I have told of my descent into a sensuality which was as dark, as magnificent, as wild, as my moments of mystic creation have been dazzling, ecstatic, exalted.
Anais NinRead
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