What was any art but a mould in which to imprison for a moment the shining elusive element which is life itself - life hurrying past us and running away, too strong to stop, too sweet to lose.
Willa CatherRead
The more observing ones may have seen, but discerning people are usually discreet and often kind, for we usually bleed a little before we begin to discern.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that true understanding comes with experience and often requires a degree of emotional sensitivity.
Willa Cather's quote reflects on the notion that while many people may notice the complexities of life, only those who have the ability to discern can fully appreciate the nuances within them. This discernment often comes at a cost, as it requires vulnerability and empathy, suggesting that to truly understand others, one must first endure their own struggles and pain.
Themes
ObservingDiscerningKindnessUnderstandingEmpathyExperience
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about emotional intelligence, one might reference this quote to highlight the importance of kindness and understanding in relationships.
More from Willa Cather
All quotes βThat is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great.
Willa CatherRead
Our tree became the talking tree of the fairy tale; legends and stories nestled like birds in its branches.
Willa CatherRead
Writing ought either to be the manufacture of stories for which there is a market demand - a business as safe and commendable as making soap or breakfast foods - or it should be an art, which is always a search for something for which there is no market demand, something new and untried, where the values are intrinsic and have nothing to do with standardized values.
Willa CatherRead
The air and the earth interpenetrated in the warm gusts of spring; the soil was full of sunlight, and the sunlight full of red dust. The air one breathed was saturated with earthy smells, and the grass under foot had a reflection of the blue sky in it.
Willa CatherRead
This is reality, whether you like it or not--all those frivolities of summer, the light and shadow, the living mask of green that trembled over everything, they were lies, and this is what was underneath. This is the truth.
Willa CatherRead
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