--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: every healthy marriage is composed of…" description: "\"every healthy marriage is composed of walls and windows. The windows are the aspects of your relationship that are open to the world—that is, the neces..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01b/elizabeth-gilbert-131_aspect_every-healthy-marriage-is-composed-of-wa_1548842.jpg" --- # every healthy marriage is composed of walls and windows… ![“every healthy marriage is composed of walls and windows. The windows are the aspects of your relationship that are open to the world—that is, the necessary gaps through which you interact with family and friends; the walls are the barriers of trust behind which you guard the most intimatesecrets…” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01b/elizabeth-gilbert-131_aspect_every-healthy-marriage-is-composed-of-wa_1548842.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01b/elizabeth-gilbert-131_aspect_every-healthy-marriage-is-composed-of-wa_1548842.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01b/elizabeth-gilbert-131_aspect_every-healthy-marriage-is-composed-of-wa_1548842.jpg) > “every healthy marriage is composed of walls and windows. The windows are the aspects of your relationship that are open to the world—that is, the necessary gaps through which you interact with family and friends; the walls are the barriers of trust behind which you guard the most intimatesecrets of your marriage.” [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A healthy marriage balances openness to others with private intimacy, using windows for connection and walls for trust. **In simple terms:** Marriage needs both openness and privacy. Key Takeaway Cultivate trust while staying connected. Themes relationships trust intimacy boundaries Mood reflective balanced Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - family gatherings - friend visits - conflict resolution - sharing personal milestones Key Concepts psychology communication marital dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide what to share with others? - What boundaries protect your marriage? A Different Perspective Too much openness can erode privacy; too many walls can create isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aspect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspect/) [Barriers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family and friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-and-friends/) [Fidelity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fidelity/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Gaps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gaps/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Healthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy/) [Healthy marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy-marriage/) [Heartbreak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heartbreak/) [Intimatesecrets Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimatesecrets-marriage-5784297/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Marriage Composed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage-composed-4145548/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Walls Barriers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walls-barriers-2688046/) [Walls Windows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walls-windows-4063409/) [Window](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/window/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“The affair between Boston and Ted Williams has been no mere summer romance; it has been a marriage, composed of spats, mutual disappointments, and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-affair-between-boston-and-ted-williams-has-been-no-mere-summer/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I always liked paintings to be walls rather than windows. When we see a painting on a wall, it's a window, so I often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-soulages/i-always-liked-paintings-to-be-walls-rather-than-windows-when-we-see/) [Pierre Soulages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-soulages/) > [I hope to build a house with my films. Some of them are the cellar, some are the walls, and some are the windows.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/i-hope-to-build-a-house-with-my-films-some-of-them-are-the-cellar/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [It's a wonderful thing, as a writer, to be given parameters and walls and barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-a-wonderful-thing-as-a-writer-to-be-given-parameters-and-walls/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Walls and barriers alone are insufficient to insure security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bersin/walls-and-barriers-alone-are-insufficient-to-insure-security/) [Alan Bersin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bersin/) > [I think there's no question that the barriers, the fences and in certain urban areas, the walls, have had an important effect in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bersin/i-think-there-s-no-question-that-the-barriers-the-fences-and-in/) [Alan Bersin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bersin/) > [Then again, you cannot stop the flood of desire as it moves through the world, inappropriate though it may sometimes be. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/then-again-you-cannot-stop-the-flood-of-desire-as-it-moves-through/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [What I object to is the hyper-fetishized wedding day, the prioritizing of wedding over marriage. I have a real problem with couples spending far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/what-i-object-to-is-the-hyper-fetishized-wedding-day-the-prioritizing/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“There is no perfect family. We have no perfect parents, we are not perfect, do not get married to a perfect person, neither do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noella-menon/there-is-no-perfect-family-we-have-no-perfect-parents-we-are-not/) [Noella Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noella-menon/) > [“These young-marrying, contemporaries or juniors of the Beat Generation, have often expressed themselves as follows: "My highest aim in life is to achieve a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/these-young-marrying-contemporaries-or-juniors-of-the-beat-generation/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [It was not a healthy marriage for long time. It was never about another man, it was about what my and Dennis's relationship could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-ryan/it-was-not-a-healthy-marriage-for-long-time-it-was-never-about/) [Meg Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-ryan/) > [Marriage is a public good, not just a private relationship. We have a public stake in healthy marriages and two-parent families. Our society suffers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-doherty/marriage-is-a-public-good-not-just-a-private-relationship-we-have-a/) [William J Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-doherty/) > [The secret to a long and healthy marriage is to work at it and don't try and change each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/the-secret-to-a-long-and-healthy-marriage-is-to-work-at-it-and-don-t/) [Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/) > [Marriage provides the solace of worked-on friendship and the joy of being known profoundly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-stubbs/marriage-provides-the-solace-of-worked-on-friendship-and-the-joy-of/) [Imogen Stubbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-stubbs/) > [The key to a long and healthy marriage is that, honestly, there's nothing worth fighting about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-key-to-a-long-and-healthy-marriage-is-that-honestly-there-s/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) ## More by Elizabeth Gilbert > [That's your friend. My husband is my best friend. He's not the mirror that holds up my flaws. He's just the guy who's like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/that-s-your-friend-my-husband-is-my-best-friend-he-s-not-the-mirror/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Not to mention that I have finally arrived at that age where a woman starts to question whether the wisest way to get over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/not-to-mention-that-i-have-finally-arrived-at-that-age-where-a-woman/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“The Buddha taught that all human suffering is rooted in desire. Don't we all know this to be true? Any of us who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-buddha-taught-that-all-human-suffering-is-rooted-in-desire-don-t/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [ “And while \[we\] do have possibilities that are vast and magnificent and almost infinite in scope, it's important to remember that our choice-rich lives… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/and-while-we-do-have-possibilities-that-are-vast-and-magnificent-and/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/learn-your-way-around-loneliness-make-a-map-of-it-sit-with-it-for/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [If we never leave our house except to drive to work, do we need to be even remotely aware of this powerful, humbling, extraordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/if-we-never-leave-our-house-except-to-drive-to-work-do-we-need-to-be/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I will tell you why we have these extraordinary minds and souls, Miss Whittaker," he continued, as though he had not heard her. "We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-will-tell-you-why-we-have-these-extraordinary-minds-and-souls-miss/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Both the five-year-olds looked at me with bewilderment and a bit of fearful uncertainty. I had a sudden horrifying image of the woman I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/both-the-five-year-olds-looked-at-me-with-bewilderment-and-a-bit-of/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/clearing-out-all-your-misery-gets-you-out-of-the-way-you-cease-being/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us,...The madness of this planet is largely a result of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-ingredients-of-both-darkness-and-light-are-equally-present-in-all/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I was full of a hot, powerful sadness and would have loved to burst into the comfort of tears, but tried hard not to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-was-full-of-a-hot-powerful-sadness-and-would-have-loved-to-burst/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“I live in nature where everything is connected, circular. The seasons are circular. The planet is circular, and so is the planet around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-live-in-nature-where-everything-is-connected-circular-the-seasons/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“His spelling was several degrees beyond arbitrary, and his punctuation brought reason to sigh with unhappiness. But”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/his-spelling-was-several-degrees-beyond-arbitrary-and-his-punctuation/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Before you realize this truth, say the Yogis, you will always be in despair, a notion nicely expressed in this exasperated line from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/before-you-realize-this-truth-say-the-yogis-you-will-always-be-in/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I actually have a great deal of respect for antidepressants; I think they can be enormously mighty tools toward recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-actually-have-a-great-deal-of-respect-for-antidepressants-i-think/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) [Explore all 1,156 Elizabeth Gilbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## More Aspect quotes > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It is according to the shapes that I lay the plans for victory, but the multitude does not comprehend this. Although everyone can see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-according-to-the-shapes-that-i-lay-the-plans-for-victory-but/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [I believe that simple, consistent shifts in our thinking and actions can lead to the miraculous in all aspects of our daily lives, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/i-believe-that-simple-consistent-shifts-in-our-thinking-and-actions/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) > [There is so much temptation to hold on to my career even more now. To try to micromanage and dictate every little aspect. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/there-is-so-much-temptation-to-hold-on-to-my-career-even-more-now-to/) [Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/) > [I do miss the social aspect of sitting in a pub with a pint but you know what when I get down to it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/i-do-miss-the-social-aspect-of-sitting-in-a-pub-with-a-pint-but-you/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [Some say that you should not want money at all because the desire for money is materialistic and not Spiritual. But we want you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/some-say-that-you-should-not-want-money-at-all-because-the-desire-for/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I would call myself a Gnostic. Which means, I'm interested in pursuing and understanding the spiritual nature of things. A Gnostic is somebody seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-would-call-myself-a-gnostic-which-means-i-m-interested-in-pursuing/) [Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/) > [One can be a great artist without being a great technician. There have been many famous ballet stars who did not have the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-bujones/one-can-be-a-great-artist-without-being-a-great-technician-there-have/) [Fernando Bujones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-bujones/) > [I love fall because I love the whole cuddling aspect of it, and a sweater dress has that vibe of I'm going to hunker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/i-love-fall-because-i-love-the-whole-cuddling-aspect-of-it-and-a/) [Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/) > [The socially redeeming aspect of golf lies in the vast number of lawyers and bankers and managers who play it, and when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-socially-redeeming-aspect-of-golf-lies-in-the-vast-number-of/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [I didnt like the Survivor shows because of the mean-spirited aspect, and women certainly were part of whatever conflict they would create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lawrence/i-didnt-like-the-survivor-shows-because-of-the-mean-spirited-aspect/) [Sharon Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lawrence/) > [MAC allowed me to have complete freedom on the collaborations—from the shades, the look-and-feel, to the campaign visuals. I have to admit that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/mac-allowed-me-to-have-complete-freedom-on-the-collaborations-from/) [Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/) > [I mean family is more important than anything in life. Family is important than my crew, D-Block, my rap career anything... It's the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/styles-p/i-mean-family-is-more-important-than-anything-in-life-family-is/) [Styles P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/styles-p/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Browse all 3,171 Aspect quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspect/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "every healthy marriage is composed of walls and windows. The windows are the aspects of your relationship that are open to the world—that is, the necessary gaps through which you interact with family and friends; the walls are the barriers of trust behind which you guard the most intimatesecrets of your marriage.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elizabeth Gilbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/every-healthy-marriage-is-composed-of-walls-and-windows-the-windows/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aspect" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/every-healthy-marriage-is-composed-of-walls-and-windows-the-windows/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01b/elizabeth-gilbert-131_aspect_every-healthy-marriage-is-composed-of-wa_1548842.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01b/elizabeth-gilbert-131_aspect_every-healthy-marriage-is-composed-of-wa_1548842.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01b/elizabeth-gilbert-131_aspect_every-healthy-marriage-is-composed-of-wa_1548842.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“every healthy marriage is composed of walls and windows. The windows are the aspects of your relationship…” — Elizabeth Gilbert", "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": "Elizabeth Gilbert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "every healthy marriage is composed of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/every-healthy-marriage-is-composed-of-walls-and-windows-the-windows/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/every-healthy-marriage-is-composed-of-walls-and-windows-the-windows/#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 } } ] } ```