--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For the erotic is not a question only of…" description: "\"“For the erotic is not a question only of what we do; it is a question of how acutely and fully we can feel in the doing. Once we know the extent to wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/audre-lorde-758_erotic_for-the-erotic-is-not-a-question-only-of_2285247.jpg" --- # For the erotic is not a question only of what we do; it is… ![“For the erotic is not a question only of what we do; it is a question of how acutely and fully we can feel in the doing. Once we know the extent to which we are capable of feeling that sense of satisfaction and completion, we can then observe which of our various life endeavors bring s closest to…” quote by Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/audre-lorde-758_erotic_for-the-erotic-is-not-a-question-only-of_2285247.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/audre-lorde-758_erotic_for-the-erotic-is-not-a-question-only-of_2285247.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/audre-lorde-758_erotic_for-the-erotic-is-not-a-question-only-of_2285247.jpg) > ““For the erotic is not a question only of what we do; it is a question of how acutely and fully we can feel in the doing. Once we know the extent to which we are capable of feeling that sense of satisfaction and completion, we can then observe which of our various life endeavors bring s closest to that fullness.”” [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Explores erotic experience as a measure of depth of feeling, linking it to fulfillment in broader life pursuits. **In simple terms:** Erotic depth reveals how fully we feel, guiding us to fulfilling endeavors. Key Takeaway Cultivate deep feeling to discover meaningful paths. Themes eroticism fulfillment self‑knowledge experience Mood introspective philosophical Type inspirational thought‑provoking When to use this quote - intimate relationships - creative projects - career choices - spiritual practice Key Concepts phenomenology psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How does feeling deeply affect your choices? - What activities bring you the most sense of completion? A Different Perspective May be interpreted as overly sexualized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capable Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable-feeling-1053757/) [Erotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/erotic/) [Erotic Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/erotic-question-5349262/) [Feel Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-doing/) [Fully Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fully-feel-4070379/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality/) ## Related quotes > [When we're feeling fully alive, we're able to fully feel love. This doorway also relates to feeling our feelings fully. Not suppressing our feelings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marci-shimoff/when-we-re-feeling-fully-alive-we-re-able-to-fully-feel-love-this/) [Marci Shimoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marci-shimoff/) > [If you allow yourself to fully feel the life you're in - not conceptually, but viscerally in the present moment - then that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-housden/if-you-allow-yourself-to-fully-feel-the-life-you-re-in-not/) [Roger Housden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-housden/) > [“i love that about us how capable we are of feeling how unafraid we are of breaking”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/i-love-that-about-us-how-capable-we-are-of-feeling-how-unafraid-we-2/) [Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/) > [“This much is clear to me: insofar as I am capable of feeling such pleasures as I believe Nick felt, I am strong; insofar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/this-much-is-clear-to-me-insofar-as-i-am-capable-of-feeling-such/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Above all, always be capable of feeling deeply any injustice committed against anyone, anywhere in the world. This is the most beautiful quality in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/above-all-always-be-capable-of-feeling-deeply-any-injustice-committed-2/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [That which we are capable of feeling, we are capable of saying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/that-which-we-are-capable-of-feeling-we-are-capable-of-saying/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [A real friend isn't capable of feeling sorry for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/a-real-friend-isn-t-capable-of-feeling-sorry-for-you/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [On 'Black Mirror,' we don't tend to deal with big, powerful people, because when you look at a Weinstein or something, you think, 'Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/on-black-mirror-we-don-t-tend-to-deal-with-big-powerful-people/) [Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/) > [Above all, always be capable of feeling deeply any injustice committed against anyone, anywhere in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/above-all-always-be-capable-of-feeling-deeply-any-injustice-committed/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [Whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of pain, and danger, that is to say, whatever is in any sort terrible,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/whatever-is-fitted-in-any-sort-to-excite-the-ideas-of-pain-and-danger-2/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [“There are many forms of love as there is moments in time, and you are capable of feeling them all at different stages of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/there-are-many-forms-of-love-as-there-is-moments-in-time-and-you-are/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [The arts enable us to have experience we can have from no other source and through such experience to discover the range and variety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-w-eisner/the-arts-enable-us-to-have-experience-we-can-have-from-no-other/) [Elliot W. Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-w-eisner/) > [“Frostbloods are fully capable of feeling in every way. The danger is that those emotions, while powerful and deep, may be covered with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-blake/frostbloods-are-fully-capable-of-feeling-in-every-way-the-danger-is/) [Elly Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-blake/) > [“Ut haec ipsa qui non sentiat deorum vim habere is nihil omnino sensurus esse videatur." If any man cannot feel the power of God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/ut-haec-ipsa-qui-non-sentiat-deorum-vim-habere-is-nihil-omnino/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“I love that about us how capable we are of feeling how unafraid we are of breaking and tend to our wounds with grace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/i-love-that-about-us-how-capable-we-are-of-feeling-how-unafraid-we/) [Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/) ## More by Audre Lorde > [Every woman I have ever loved has left her print upon me, where I loved some invaluable piece of myself apart from me-so different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/every-woman-i-have-ever-loved-has-left-her-print-upon-me-where-i/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [There are many kinds of open. . . Love is a word, another kind of open. . . Take my word for jewel in your open light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/there-are-many-kinds-of-open-love-is-a-word-another-kind-of-open-take/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Your silence will not protect you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/your-silence-will-not-protect-you/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [I can't really define it in sexual terms alone although our sexuality is so energizing why not enjoy it too?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-can-t-really-define-it-in-sexual-terms-alone-although-our-sexuality/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“For once we begin to feel deeply all the aspects of our lives, we begin to demand from ourselves and from our life-pursuits that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/for-once-we-begin-to-feel-deeply-all-the-aspects-of-our-lives-we/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [the fear of death is that you are dying too soon. Nobody wants to, but at the point that you die you can pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/the-fear-of-death-is-that-you-are-dying-too-soon-nobody-wants-to-but/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“There is an important difference between openness and naïveté. Not everyone has good intentions nor means me well. I remind myself I do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/there-is-an-important-difference-between-openness-and-na-vet-not/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [What are the words you do not yet have? What do you need to say? What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/what-are-the-words-you-do-not-yet-have-what-do-you-need-to-say-what/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [I learned to read from Mrs. Augusta Baker, the children's librarian. ... If that was the only good deed that lady ever did in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-learned-to-read-from-mrs-augusta-baker-the-children-s-librarian-if/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Poetry is not only dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives. It lays the foundations for a future of change,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/poetry-is-not-only-dream-and-vision-it-is-the-skeleton-architecture/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“I think that in America there are certain kinds of problems and in Russia there are certain kinds of problems, but basically, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-think-that-in-america-there-are-certain-kinds-of-problems-and-in/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Institutionalized rejection of differences is an absolute necessity in a profit economy which needs outsiders as surplus people. As members of such an economy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/institutionalized-rejection-of-differences-is-an-absolute-necessity/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [The sharing of joy, whether physical, emotional, psychic, or intellectual, forms a bridge between the sharers which can be the basis for understanding much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/the-sharing-of-joy-whether-physical-emotional-psychic-or-intellectual/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“I forgot what we were celebrating. Because we were always celebrating something, a new job, a new poem, a new love, a new dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-forgot-what-we-were-celebrating-because-we-were-always-celebrating/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [How a diamond comes into a knot of flame How a sound comes into a word, coloured By who pays what for speaking. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/how-a-diamond-comes-into-a-knot-of-flame-how-a-sound-comes-into-a/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) [Explore all 377 Audre Lorde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) ## More Erotic quotes > [Shared laughter is erotic too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/shared-laughter-is-erotic-too/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [The truly erotic sensibility, in evoking the image of woman, never omits to clothe it. The robing and disrobing: that is the true traffic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-machado/the-truly-erotic-sensibility-in-evoking-the-image-of-woman-never/) [Antonio Machado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-machado/) > [The erotic and the art historical imagination is something that gets very little play when people talk about my work, and when they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/the-erotic-and-the-art-historical-imagination-is-something-that-gets/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [“I’m not going to deny that I want to fuck you. I can’t promise a future or that I’ll be some sniveling boyfriend who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-l-hess/i-m-not-going-to-deny-that-i-want-to-fuck-you-i-can-t-promise-a/) [D.L. Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-l-hess/) > [The only people who are obsessed with food are anorexics and the morbidly obese. That, in erotic terms, is the Catholic church, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-only-people-who-are-obsessed-with-food-are-anorexics-and-the/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I want to engage people in an honest, enlightened, and provocative conversation about the nature of erotic desire and the intricacies of intimacy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/i-want-to-engage-people-in-an-honest-enlightened-and-provocative/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [Just erotic. Nothing kinky. It's the difference between using a feather and using a chicken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/just-erotic-nothing-kinky-it-s-the-difference-between-using-a-feather/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Right, I can't watch this shit." Kacey grunted as he got up. "It's one thing getting a hard-on over you, baby girl. The fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-morgan/right-i-can-t-watch-this-shit-kacey-grunted-as-he-got-up-it-s-one/) [Elizabeth Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-morgan/) > [When a lady's erotic life is vexed God knows what God is coming next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/when-a-lady-s-erotic-life-is-vexed-god-knows-what-god-is-coming-next/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [The greatest sex toy ever invented may be the telephone. Sometimes there's nothing more erotic than a disembodied voice, no question more tantalizing than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/the-greatest-sex-toy-ever-invented-may-be-the-telephone-sometimes/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [“He props his elbow on the table, absently scratches his temple with his index finger, and I remember exactly what that index finger did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-murphy/he-props-his-elbow-on-the-table-absently-scratches-his-temple-with/) [Monica Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-murphy/) > [It's flabbergasting. I can understand if you have your legs spread and you're pushing yourself into the camera - that's sexually erotic. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-christensen/it-s-flabbergasting-i-can-understand-if-you-have-your-legs-spread-and/) [Helena Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-christensen/) > [“Right on the edge of fear was where trust could grow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherise-sinclair/right-on-the-edge-of-fear-was-where-trust-could-grow/) [Cherise Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherise-sinclair/) > [“Move your hands, Morgan,” he commanded. “It hurts!” she protested. “It’s supposed to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-bristol/move-your-hands-morgan-he-commanded-it-hurts-she-protested-it-s/) [Cara Bristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-bristol/) > [As her sons have seen her: the mother in patriarchy: controlling, erotic, castrating, heart-suffering, guilt-ridden, and guilt-provoking; a marble brow, a huge breast, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/as-her-sons-have-seen-her-the-mother-in-patriarchy-controlling-erotic/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) [Browse all 542 Erotic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/erotic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For the erotic is not a question only of what we do; it is a question of how acutely and fully we can feel in the doing. Once we know the extent to which we are capable of feeling that sense of satisfaction and completion, we can then observe which of our various life endeavors bring s closest to that fullness.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Audre Lorde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/for-the-erotic-is-not-a-question-only-of-what-we-do-it-is-a-question/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Erotic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/for-the-erotic-is-not-a-question-only-of-what-we-do-it-is-a-question/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/audre-lorde-758_erotic_for-the-erotic-is-not-a-question-only-of_2285247.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/audre-lorde-758_erotic_for-the-erotic-is-not-a-question-only-of_2285247.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a79/audre-lorde-758_erotic_for-the-erotic-is-not-a-question-only-of_2285247.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For the erotic is not a question only of what we do; it is a question of how acutely and fully we can feel…” — Audre Lorde", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Audre Lorde", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“For the erotic is not a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/for-the-erotic-is-not-a-question-only-of-what-we-do-it-is-a-question/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/for-the-erotic-is-not-a-question-only-of-what-we-do-it-is-a-question/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```