---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe I was afraid of seeing anything as…"
description: "\"“Maybe I was afraid of seeing anything as absolute. I wanted to keep moving, like a stream, and I wanted to go on watching everything from a distance. ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a7/banana-yoshimoto-1375_closeness_maybe-i-was-afraid-of-seeing-anything-as_972938.jpg"
---

#  Maybe I was afraid of seeing anything as absolute. I…

![“Maybe I was afraid of seeing anything as absolute. I wanted to keep moving, like a stream, and I wanted to go on watching everything from a distance. That’s how I was. I felt close to people, but I didn’t have any friends I could really share my life with, our hearts melting together. Something…” quote by Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a7/banana-yoshimoto-1375_closeness_maybe-i-was-afraid-of-seeing-anything-as_972938.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a7/banana-yoshimoto-1375_closeness_maybe-i-was-afraid-of-seeing-anything-as_972938.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a7/banana-yoshimoto-1375_closeness_maybe-i-was-afraid-of-seeing-anything-as_972938.jpg)

> ““Maybe I was afraid of seeing anything as absolute. I wanted to keep moving, like a stream, and I wanted to go on watching everything from a distance. That’s how I was. I felt close to people, but I didn’t have any friends I could really share my life with, our hearts melting together. Something always failed to communicate.””

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The narrator avoids absolute truths, staying emotionally distant like a stream, feeling close yet unable to share deep connections, leading to communication breakdowns.

**In simple terms:** Staying distant prevents true intimacy.

Key Takeaway

Seek genuine connection, not just observation.

Themes

loneliness connection truth

Mood

melancholic introspective

Type

literary emotional

When to use this quote

- friendships
- romantic relationships
- self‑reflection
- therapy

Key Concepts

stream metaphor emotional distance communication failure

Questions to Reflect On

- What fears keep you emotionally distant?
- How can you move from observation to participation?

A Different Perspective

Avoiding absolutes can hinder authentic bonds.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Closeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closeness/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

## Related quotes

> [I grew up loving actors from a distance but still felt so close to them. I feel like to be on the other side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-saraf/i-grew-up-loving-actors-from-a-distance-but-still-felt-so-close-to/)

[Rohit Saraf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohit-saraf/)

> [“She was used to living her life from a distance, watching herself from the back row as she mouthed someone else’s lines on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-sotto-yambao/she-was-used-to-living-her-life-from-a-distance-watching-herself-from/)

[Samantha Sotto Yambao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-sotto-yambao/)

> [There is in the blind as in the seeing an Absolute which gives truth to what we know to be true, order to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/there-is-in-the-blind-as-in-the-seeing-an-absolute-which-gives-truth/)

[Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/)

> [“The distance between them felt like nothing. It felt like miles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/the-distance-between-them-felt-like-nothing-it-felt-like-miles/)

[Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/)

> [“The distance between my home and here is a fraction of the emotional distance between here and inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentine-glass/the-distance-between-my-home-and-here-is-a-fraction-of-the-emotional/)

[Valentine Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentine-glass/)

> [Knowing is passing from the false to the true and seeing the Absolute Whole in the part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmud-shabistari/knowing-is-passing-from-the-false-to-the-true-and-seeing-the-absolute/)

[Mahmud Shabistari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmud-shabistari/)

> [The one thing in life that I'm afraid of seeing is her walking away. Im not going to mess up now!I wont let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-vigil/the-one-thing-in-life-that-i-m-afraid-of-seeing-is-her-walking-away/)

[David Vigil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-vigil/)

> [Spirit, find your way, in seeking lowness like a stream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/spirit-find-your-way-in-seeking-lowness-like-a-stream/)

[Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/)

> [I'm a casual watcher. I like to stream everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-oakley/i-m-a-casual-watcher-i-like-to-stream-everything/)

[Tyler Oakley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-oakley/)

> [“A good book is like a stream, with which we can flow slowly, playfully, it lets us savor the joy of weaving the magic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/balroop-singh/a-good-book-is-like-a-stream-with-which-we-can-flow-slowly-playfully/)

[Balroop Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/balroop-singh/)

> [U R THE DANGEROUS PERSON IN THE WORLD…So Dont afraid of seeing any body….you are the comedian in the world...So Dont tease anybody………………](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun/u-r-the-dangerous-person-in-the-world-so-dont-afraid-of-seeing-any/)

[Arun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun/)

> [“Part of me wishes I could see him; I want to make sure he's really going to be okay, that he's recovering well and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/part-of-me-wishes-i-could-see-him-i-want-to-make-sure-he-s-really/)

[Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/)

> [Learn to flow with life like a stream. Change is the only constant in our world, everything and everyone is in always in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/learn-to-flow-with-life-like-a-stream-change-is-the-only-constant-in/)

[Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/)

> [“Something similar to us always create a kind of fear in us, because we are often afraid of seeing our true self!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/something-similar-to-us-always-create-a-kind-of-fear-in-us-because-we/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [I can't say that I was my happiest on court, but I felt completely free. Free from family obligations, free from my own torment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-connors/i-can-t-say-that-i-was-my-happiest-on-court-but-i-felt-completely/)

[Jimmy Connors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-connors/)

## More by Banana Yoshimoto

> [it'll be this kind of deep blue”she said. “The kind of color that somehow sucks your eyes and your ears and all your words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/it-ll-be-this-kind-of-deep-blue-she-said-the-kind-of-color-that/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [“People look so beautiful when their expressions show that they know they have a future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/people-look-so-beautiful-when-their-expressions-show-that-they-know/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [“I don’t put any stock in whatever it is that happens inside my head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/i-don-t-put-any-stock-in-whatever-it-is-that-happens-inside-my-head/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [The way we think may be completely different, but you and I are an ancient, archetypal couple, the original man and woman. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/the-way-we-think-may-be-completely-different-but-you-and-i-are-an/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [I love feeling the rhythm of other people's lives. It's like traveling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/i-love-feeling-the-rhythm-of-other-people-s-lives-it-s-like-traveling/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [“But that’s only because we have to be that way in order to get on with our lives. Just because people are playing doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/but-that-s-only-because-we-have-to-be-that-way-in-order-to-get-on/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [“I know just how slimy people can be, and how people like that are during the daytime. They don’t get slimy at night because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/i-know-just-how-slimy-people-can-be-and-how-people-like-that-are/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [“I wanted to strip and dance naked in front of them, because maybe then I could have demolished the fake, slimy atmosphere they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/i-wanted-to-strip-and-dance-naked-in-front-of-them-because-maybe-then/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [I held the feeling in my heart; the urge to discuss it died out. There was all the time in the world. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/i-held-the-feeling-in-my-heart-the-urge-to-discuss-it-died-out-there/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [“Everything in my life revolves around people playing at being something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/everything-in-my-life-revolves-around-people-playing-at-being/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [“When things get really bad, you take comfort in the placeness of a place. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/when-things-get-really-bad-you-take-comfort-in-the-placeness-of-a/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [“And usually, when it’s all over, I find that everything has come together surprisingly well. When that happens, I feel like I’ve been dancing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/and-usually-when-it-s-all-over-i-find-that-everything-has-come/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [“In the uncertain ebb and flow of time and emotions, much of one's life history is etched in the senses. And things of no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/in-the-uncertain-ebb-and-flow-of-time-and-emotions-much-of-one-s-life/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [Everything that had happened was shockingly beautiful, enough to make you crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/everything-that-had-happened-was-shockingly-beautiful-enough-to-make/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [“Perhaps there are people in this world who love their fountain pens with every fiber of their being—and that's very sad. If you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/perhaps-there-are-people-in-this-world-who-love-their-fountain-pens/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

[Explore all 192 Banana Yoshimoto quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

## More Closeness quotes

> [How could they say that they truly loved each other? They had simply grown up together, been children together, and the proximity of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/how-could-they-say-that-they-truly-loved-each-other-they-had-simply/)

[David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/)

> [You can't find any true closeness in Hollywood, because everybody does the fake closeness so well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/you-can-t-find-any-true-closeness-in-hollywood-because-everybody-does/)

[Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/)

> [“How long has it been since you and me? Hugs and kisses. Blankets and snuggles. Our sparks smoldering without a fireplace. Losing time is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/2019-fidelis-o-mkparu/how-long-has-it-been-since-you-and-me-hugs-and-kisses-blankets-and/)

 2019 Fidelis O Mkparu

> [“I'd watch his smooth chest rise and fall with each steady breath, I'd watch the pulsating of his stomach when he laughed, and I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-newell/i-d-watch-his-smooth-chest-rise-and-fall-with-each-steady-breath-i-d/)

[Ashley Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-newell/)

> [Jesus Christ does not teach us a spirituality “of closed eyes”, but one of “alertness”, one which entails an absolute duty to take notice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/jesus-christ-does-not-teach-us-a-spirituality-of-closed-eyes-but-one/)

[Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/)

> [This is really skin privilege, the ranking of color in terms of its closeness to white people or white-skinned people and its devaluation according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/this-is-really-skin-privilege-the-ranking-of-color-in-terms-of-its/)

[Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/)

> [Daily fervent prayers seeking forgiveness and special help and direction are essential to our lives and the nourishment of our testimonies. When we become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-l-staheli/daily-fervent-prayers-seeking-forgiveness-and-special-help-and/)

Donald L. Staheli

> [Somewhere we know that without silence, words lose their meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/somewhere-we-know-that-without-silence-words-lose-their-meaning/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [Women, understand that sex does not always equate to love, it just equates to a false sense of emotional closeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/women-understand-that-sex-does-not-always-equate-to-love-it-just/)

Enhance Dreams

> [The aesthetic event is something as evident, as immediate, as indefinable as love, the taste of fruit, as water. We feel poetry as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-aesthetic-event-is-something-as-evident-as-immediate-as/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

> [“I do not know what to do with the emotions inside me. I do not know how to be this close to someone and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-renee-jones/i-do-not-know-what-to-do-with-the-emotions-inside-me-i-do-not-know/)

[Lisa Renee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-renee-jones/)

> [The aesthetic event is something as evident, as immediate, as indefinable as love, the taste of fruit, of water. We feel poetry as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-aesthetic-event-is-something-as-evident-as-immediate-as-2/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

> [ Faith is above all a personal, intimate encounter with Jesus, and to experience \[His\] closeness, \[His\] friendship, \[His\] Love; only in this way does… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/faith-is-above-all-a-personal-intimate-encounter-with-jesus-and-to/)

[Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/)

> [“Dad?' 'Yeah?' 'Could you tell me a story?' 'Sure.' 'A good one.' 'As opposed to all the boring ones I tell.' 'Right.' I tucked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/dad-yeah-could-you-tell-me-a-story-sure-a-good-one-as-opposed-to-all/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“I look at you And I want to build things Four walls A roof A room with a view I look at you And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/i-look-at-you-and-i-want-to-build-things-four-walls-a-roof-a-room/)

[José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/)

[Browse all 316 Closeness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closeness/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Maybe I was afraid of seeing anything as absolute. I wanted to keep moving, like a stream, and I wanted to go on watching everything from a distance. That’s how I was. I felt close to people, but I didn’t have any friends I could really share my life with, our hearts melting together. Something always failed to communicate.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Banana Yoshimoto"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/maybe-i-was-afraid-of-seeing-anything-as-absolute-i-wanted-to-keep/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Closeness"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/maybe-i-was-afraid-of-seeing-anything-as-absolute-i-wanted-to-keep/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a7/banana-yoshimoto-1375_closeness_maybe-i-was-afraid-of-seeing-anything-as_972938.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a7/banana-yoshimoto-1375_closeness_maybe-i-was-afraid-of-seeing-anything-as_972938.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a7/banana-yoshimoto-1375_closeness_maybe-i-was-afraid-of-seeing-anything-as_972938.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Maybe I was afraid of seeing anything as absolute. I wanted to keep moving, like a stream, and I wanted to…” — Banana Yoshimoto",
                "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": "Banana Yoshimoto",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Maybe I was afraid of seeing...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/maybe-i-was-afraid-of-seeing-anything-as-absolute-i-wanted-to-keep/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/maybe-i-was-afraid-of-seeing-anything-as-absolute-i-wanted-to-keep/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
