It is in books, poems, paintings which often give us the confidence to take seriously feelings in ourselves that we might otherwise never have thought to acknowledge.
Alain De BottonRead
One of the unexpectedly important things that art can do for us is to teach us how to suffer more successfully.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art helps us understand and cope with suffering in a more constructive way.
In this quote, Alain De Botton emphasizes the significant role that art plays in our lives, particularly in how it can provide insights into the human condition, including suffering. Through various forms of artistic expression, we can learn not only to accept suffering as a part of life but also to engage with it in a way that can lead to personal growth and resilience, thus making our experiences with pain more meaningful and manageable.
Themes
ArtSufferingHuman ConditionGrowthResilience
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the therapeutic effects of art, this quote can be used to illustrate how creativity can offer solace.
More from Alain De Botton
All quotes βTaking architecture seriously therefore makes some singular and strenuous demands upon us...It means conceding that we are inconveniently vulnerable to the colour of our wallpaper and that our sense of purpose may be derailed by an unfortunate bedspread
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The more closely we analyze what we consider 'sexy,' the more clearly we will understand that eroticism is the feeling of excitement we experience at finding another human being who shares our values and our sense of the meaning of existence.
Alain De BottonRead
Good books put a finger on emotions that are deeply our own - but that we could never have described on our own.
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The challenge of modern relationships: how to prove more interesting than the other's smartphone.
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It is the most ambitious and driven among us who are the most sorely in need of having our reckless hopes dampened through immersive dousings in the darkness which religions have explored. This is a particular priority for secular Americans, perhaps the most anxious and disappointed people on earth, for their nation infuses them with the most extreme hopes about what they may be able to achieve in their working lives and relationships.
Alain De BottonRead
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