We have become victims of our own art. We touch people on…
““We have become victims of our own art. We touch people on the outsides of their bodies, and they us, but we cannot get to their insides and cannot reveal our insides to them. This is one of the great tragedies of our interiority-it is utterly personal and unrevealable. Often we want to say something unusually intimate to a spouse, a parent, a friend, communicate something of how we are really feeling about a sunset, who we really feel we are-only to fall strangely and miserably flat. Once in a great while we succeed, sometimes more with one person, less or never with others. But the occasional break-through only proves the rule. You reach out with a disclosure, fail, and fall back bitterly into yourself.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
We struggle to truly understand each other's inner lives, often only touching superficial aspects, leading to personal tragedy and isolation.
In simple terms: We can't fully reach or reveal our deepest selves to others.
Key Takeaway
Seek deeper, authentic connections.
Themes
intimacy
communication
loneliness
psychology
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
philosophical
introspective
When to use this quote
- marriage counseling
- friendship
- artistic collaboration
- therapy sessions
Key Concepts
existentialism
self-disclosure
emotional barriers
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you create space for genuine intimacy?
- What fears prevent you from revealing your inner self?
A Different Perspective
Superficial contact often feels safer than vulnerability.