He had learned long ago that, in general, the easier it was for anxious patients to reach him, the less likely they were to call. (107)
Irvin D. YalomRead
Marriage and its entourage of possession and jealousy enslave the spirit.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Marriage can often lead to feelings of ownership and envy, which can restrict personal freedom.
In this quote, Irvin D. Yalom suggests that the institution of marriage, along with its accompanying emotions of possession and jealousy, can suffocate individual freedom and hinder personal growth. The idea is that rather than fostering a sense of partnership, these negative emotions can create a form of bondage that enslaves the spirit, ultimately impacting both individuals' sense of self and their capacity for genuine connection.
Themes
MarriagePossessionJealousyFreedomRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used during a marriage counseling session to address underlying issues.
More from Irvin D. Yalom
All quotes →A curious thought experiment. . . Nietzsche's message to us was to live life in such a way that we would be willing to repeat the same life eternally
Irvin D. YalomRead
A sense of life meaning ensues but cannot be deliberately pursued: life meaning is always a derivative phenomenon that materializes when we have transcended ourselves, when we have forgotten ourselves and become absorbed in someone (or something) outside ourselves
Irvin D. YalomRead
It is wrong to bear children out of need, wrong to use a child to alleviate loneliness, wrong to provide purpose in life by reproducing another copy of oneself. It is wrong also to seek immortality by spewing one's germ into the future as though sperm contains your consciousness!
Irvin D. YalomRead
Life is a spark between two identical voids, the darkness before birth and the one after death.
Irvin D. YalomRead
I dream of a love that is more than two people craving to possess one another.
Irvin D. YalomRead
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