--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think desire gives us - imagination…" description: "\"I think desire gives us - imagination - as well as actually often we pay a terrible price for it. Women are punished around their sexuality and perceiv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/247/amber-hollibaugh-17925_certain_i-think-desire-gives-us-imagination-as-w_1314268.jpg" --- # I think desire gives us - imagination - as well as… ![“I think desire gives us - imagination - as well as actually often we pay a terrible price for it. Women are punished around their sexuality and perceived to be immoral if they practice a certain kind of promiscuous sexuality. It's a very different thing still if you're a guy, if you're a woman and…” quote by Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/247/amber-hollibaugh-17925_certain_i-think-desire-gives-us-imagination-as-w_1314268.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/247/amber-hollibaugh-17925_certain_i-think-desire-gives-us-imagination-as-w_1314268.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/247/amber-hollibaugh-17925_certain_i-think-desire-gives-us-imagination-as-w_1314268.jpg) > “I think desire gives us - imagination - as well as actually often we pay a terrible price for it. Women are punished around their sexuality and perceived to be immoral if they practice a certain kind of promiscuous sexuality. It's a very different thing still if you're a guy, if you're a woman and you're straight.” [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desire fuels imagination, yet society punishes women for sexual expression, imposing double standards. **In simple terms:** Desire inspires but women face sexual double standards. Key Takeaway Challenge gendered sexual norms. Themes gender sexuality power dynamics Mood critical empathetic Type analytical advocacy When to use this quote - activism - education - media representation - personal relationships Key Concepts Feminist theory social critique Questions to Reflect On - How can we support equitable sexual agency? - What role does imagination play in activism? A Different Perspective Cultural change is slow and met with resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Desire Gives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire-gives-4357973/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-things/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Immoral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immoral/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Promiscuous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promiscuous/) [Promiscuous Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promiscuous-sexuality-4357972/) [Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality/) [Sexuality Perceived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality-perceived-4357974/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Think Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-desire-830188/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [Parents' tolerance of violence is so different to their tolerance of sexuality. If violence is involved in the sexuality it's somehow perceived as entertainment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gosling/parents-tolerance-of-violence-is-so-different-to-their-tolerance-of/) [Ryan Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gosling/) > [Burning desire to be or do something gives us staying power - a reason to get up every morning or to pick ourselves up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-sinetar/burning-desire-to-be-or-do-something-gives-us-staying-power-a-reason/) [Marsha Sinetar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-sinetar/) > [When I design, I think about the desire someone might have for it and why. I want them to fall in love with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-packham/when-i-design-i-think-about-the-desire-someone-might-have-for-it-and/) [Jenny Packham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-packham/) > [“Think only of what you desire, and expect only what you desire, even when the very contrary seems to be coming into your life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-d-larson/think-only-of-what-you-desire-and-expect-only-what-you-desire-even/) [Christian D. Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-d-larson/) > [Your sexuality belongs to you, and think about your own desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-dederer/your-sexuality-belongs-to-you-and-think-about-your-own-desire/) [Claire Dederer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-dederer/) > [I think it was a desire to be able to find my own voice. I think that was the big urge within me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mcburney/i-think-it-was-a-desire-to-be-able-to-find-my-own-voice-i-think-that/) [Simon McBurney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mcburney/) > [“There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/there-have-been-times-when-i-think-we-do-not-desire-heaven-but-more-2/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [It's important to only think about what you desire, not what you fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/it-s-important-to-only-think-about-what-you-desire-not-what-you-fear/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [“No amount of yelling at me will have an impact because the urge is without thought. If I think first, just for a moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ido-kedar/no-amount-of-yelling-at-me-will-have-an-impact-because-the-urge-is/) [Ido Kedar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ido-kedar/) > [“There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven, but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-have-been-times-when-i-think-we-do-not-desire-heaven-but-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The impulse to write comes, I think, from a desire - perhaps a need - to give imaginative life to experience, to share it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-impulse-to-write-comes-i-think-from-a-desire-perhaps-a-need-to/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [I think if the desire to improve what I do starts to plateau then what's the point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/i-think-if-the-desire-to-improve-what-i-do-starts-to-plateau-then/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [“His eyes are huge and black. I think about desire. There are flickerings that occur, and we know very little about them. Millimetres of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-davies/his-eyes-are-huge-and-black-i-think-about-desire-there-are/) [Luke Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-davies/) > [I think everyone has the desire in their life to be the best at something that touches them, that reaches them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-zingano/i-think-everyone-has-the-desire-in-their-life-to-be-the-best-at/) [Cat Zingano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-zingano/) > [We all have to lead our own life, and we only have the one life, and the only people who can live life not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-mar-as/we-all-have-to-lead-our-own-life-and-we-only-have-the-one-life-and/) [Javier Marías](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-mar-as/) ## More by Amber Hollibaugh > [Being respectful of extraordinary work that has happened in the last thirty-five years is not the same thing as it reflecting my values. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/being-respectful-of-extraordinary-work-that-has-happened-in-the-last/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [I think that white people are not seen as people with racial histories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/i-think-that-white-people-are-not-seen-as-people-with-racial-histories/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [Sex may be private in the way that you make love, but it's not private in the context of the world we live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/sex-may-be-private-in-the-way-that-you-make-love-but-it-s-not-private/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [If you want to be backed by corporations so that you're elected mayor, then it's going to be very problematic for you to support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/if-you-want-to-be-backed-by-corporations-so-that-you-re-elected-mayor/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [I became a part of the Civil Rights movement early on and that has really shaped a great deal of my thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/i-became-a-part-of-the-civil-rights-movement-early-on-and-that-has/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [Everyone's always told about politics you have to be practical, but I actually think that's not true, you actually have to hold to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/everyone-s-always-told-about-politics-you-have-to-be-practical-but-i/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [Is it different to come out now than it was to come out thirty-five years ago? Sometimes. But if you come out now and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/is-it-different-to-come-out-now-than-it-was-to-come-out-thirty-five/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [If you're a person with resources who is LGBT, you may have some problems with that - but, frankly, you'll probably have an apartment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/if-you-re-a-person-with-resources-who-is-lgbt-you-may-have-some/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [We gain power in our refusal to accept less than we deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/we-gain-power-in-our-refusal-to-accept-less-than-we-deserve/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [If I'm fighting for the possibility of having a kind of desire and possibility, that right now is not too likely, it gives me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/if-i-m-fighting-for-the-possibility-of-having-a-kind-of-desire-and/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [Frankly, sex work and stripping is very good if you have radical politics. You can go to meetings all night long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/frankly-sex-work-and-stripping-is-very-good-if-you-have-radical/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [I worked very hard to try and figure out what I thought and I believed that we were going to succeed and that revolutions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/i-worked-very-hard-to-try-and-figure-out-what-i-thought-and-i/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [When people give up sex and give up love or they only have love in the context of tradition then I think we're missing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/when-people-give-up-sex-and-give-up-love-or-they-only-have-love-in/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [The economy is not removed from the way you live out your private life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/the-economy-is-not-removed-from-the-way-you-live-out-your-private-life/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [I think social change work is some of the most extraordinary dreaming that any of us have the possibility of doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/i-think-social-change-work-is-some-of-the-most-extraordinary-dreaming/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) [Explore all 36 Amber Hollibaugh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. 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