The poet is one who is able to keep the fresh vision of the child alive.
Anais NinRead
I was thinking of my patients, and how the worst moment for them was when they discovered they were masters of their own fate. It was not a matter of bad or good luck. When they could no longer blame fate, they were in despair.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the struggle people face when they realize they are responsible for their own lives rather than attributing their circumstances to luck or fate.
Anais Nin reflects on a profound realization that many people come to: the moment they understand they are in control of their own destinies, it can lead to a sense of despair rather than empowerment. This recognition strips away the comfort of blaming external factors for failures or hardships, and can be overwhelming, especially for those who are unprepared to embrace that responsibility in their lives.
Themes
FateResponsibilityDespairControlEmpowerment
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in conversations about personal growth in therapy sessions.
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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