I can still discern people's weaknesses, but it doesn't make me want to exploit them; it makes me want to hug them. — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
I made a conscious decision when I was writing that book to depict in real time how I treated it, and how… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
It has been my experience that the people I judge most harshly are the ones in whom I recognize some part of… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
I didn't know enough as a writer to understand why I needed to do this, but I understood in a very gut… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
You don't know how people are going to respond. But I would add to that, that getting your heart broken is not… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
We often think that "bad" relationships are motivating by self-loathing or a wish for self-destruction, but I think that loving people who… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
Desperation precludes reflection. That is one of the reasons why smart people can get involved in very obviously unworkable relationships. Like addiction,… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
Being a dominatrix, sticking my foot up people's asses for money, necessitated that I divorce myself from any sort of objective perspective… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
S&M is just a set of practices that get classified as a single category, when more accurately they are a part of… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
I think that more so, my wonderful skill of dissociation came in very handy. I care very much what other people think.… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
Anyone who makes a life of what they love is a hero to me, and it's important for those people to be… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
Behaviors and lifestyles that are classified as "normal" rarely get so generalized, public perception of heterosexual relationships, for instance, or of the… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
I've always looked very closely at people, and seen a lot; that was true even when I was a kid. That's what… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
Letting go of the cozy stories you've been carrying around is devastating. But there's more room for new stuff after you do it. — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
When you conceal inner reality, this pressure builds. You often don't expose yourself until it reaches extremity, a breaking point, and what emerges is… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
I can only see right in front of me when I'm writing, you know? I never think of it as raw or personal or… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
“I have always been afraid to have children. I didn't want to give them the parts of me--the hurtling hunger, the shame--but now I… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
“There are still times when he and I fall into our respective labyrinths. I no longer believe that anyone but ourselves can lead us… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
I think we all are born inside of our parents' narratives. We stay there for a good while. We are taught their narratives about… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
“Maybe that's all bravery is: when your hunger is greater than your fear. I resist the implication that bravery is noble. I must face… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
“I have always enjoyed watching women dress. The appeal isn't sexual. Most girls' first glimpse of private female life is watching their mothers dress… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
“It was the first time anyone had broken up with me. It was a thing I had successfully avoided for thirty-two years.” — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
I can still discern people's weaknesses, but it doesn't make me want to exploit them; it makes me want to hug them. — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
“There is a moment in your 20s when you know what it means to love rightly, but not how to do it, and then… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
“The labyrinth, after all, is Sarah's creation. She calls upon the Goblin King. And this is the biggest difference between my brother's afflictions and… — Melissa Febos Copy Share Image
