QuoteProject
Nobody until very recently would have thought that their husband was supposed to be their best friend, confidante, intellectual soul mate, co-parent, inspiration.
Elizabeth Gilbert
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The modern view of marriage encompasses friendship and emotional support beyond traditional roles.

In this quote, Elizabeth Gilbert reflects on the evolving nature of marital relationships, highlighting that contemporary expectations have expanded beyond the conventional roles of husband and wife. She suggests that a successful partnership now includes emotional intimacy, friendship, shared responsibilities, and mutual inspiration, indicating a shift towards viewing spouses as best friends and equals rather than merely fulfilling societal expectations.

Themes

MarriageFriendshipRelationshipIntimacyLovePartnership

In practice

Example use cases

During a relationship seminar, I shared a quote about modern marriages redefining friendship.

More from Elizabeth Gilbert

You know the old adage: Plant an expectation, reap a disappointment.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
Do not apologize for crying. Without this emotion, we are only robots.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
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.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
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?
Elizabeth GilbertRead
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.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilling yearnings.
Elizabeth GilbertRead

Similar quotes

A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage is a form of gay bashing and it would do nothing to protect traditional marriages.
Coretta Scott KingRead
I wanted to know what happened when two people felt it. Would it divide the hurt in two, make it lighter to bear, the way feeling someone's joy seemed to double it?
Sue Monk KiddRead
I think we will have full marriage rights in Colorado. But in 1992, there was a very hateful Amendment 2 that basically made it legal for any institution to deny gays and lesbians access, whether it's hospitals or restaurants or employment. Anybody could fire you or not let you in a restaurant because you were gay.
Martina NavratilovaRead
I've had your tears with mine, and you've had mine with yours. I think that's more intimate even than a kiss.
Orson Scott CardRead
My great hope for us as young women is to start being kinder to ourselves so that we can be kinder to each other. To stop shaming ourselves and other people for things we don't know the full story on - whether someone is too fat, too skinny, too short, too tall, too loud, too quiet, too anything. There's a sense that we're all β€˜too’ something, and we're all not enough.
Emma StoneRead
You get older, and people start passing away. And so if you're lucky - my mom died very young, for instance, and I have friends who died very young - but the point being that, I think if you're awake, you know you're going to pass on. And that the real treasure in life is the long term - relationships that you really value.
William HurtRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.