--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were a few years there, lost in…" description: "\"“There were a few years there, lost in borderless despair, when I used to experience all the world’s sadness as my own.”\" — Elizabeth Gilbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/elizabeth-gilbert-131_sadness_there-were-a-few-years-there-lost-in-bor_1180250.jpg" --- # There were a few years there, lost in borderless despair… ![“There were a few years there, lost in borderless despair, when I used to experience all the world’s sadness as my own.” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/elizabeth-gilbert-131_sadness_there-were-a-few-years-there-lost-in-bor_1180250.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/elizabeth-gilbert-131_sadness_there-were-a-few-years-there-lost-in-bor_1180250.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/elizabeth-gilbert-131_sadness_there-were-a-few-years-there-lost-in-bor_1180250.jpg) > ““There were a few years there, lost in borderless despair, when I used to experience all the world’s sadness as my own.”” [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. The author describes a period of deep empathy where she felt the world's sadness as her own, reflecting profound emotional immersion. **In simple terms:** She felt all the world's sadness as hers. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy, but protect self. Themes empathy shared sorrow identity connection Mood melancholic reflective Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - creative writing - mindfulness - community support Key Concepts emotional immersion psychological overlap spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance empathy with self-care? - What boundaries protect your well‑being? A Different Perspective Risk of losing personal boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Borderless Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borderless-despair-3459026/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Lost Borderless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-borderless-3459027/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [World Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-sadness-1370862/) [Years Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-lost-574168/) ## Related quotes > [You know, all the evil in the world, all the sadness comes from not having a good answer to that question: What do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-ryman/you-know-all-the-evil-in-the-world-all-the-sadness-comes-from-not/) [Geoff Ryman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-ryman/) > [“He secretly believed that his greatest gift to the world would be to take that sadness with him when he was buried.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-watson/he-secretly-believed-that-his-greatest-gift-to-the-world-would-be-to/) [Douglas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-watson/) > [“Everyone wants a world without sadness, but you can't have a rainbow without a little rain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea/everyone-wants-a-world-without-sadness-but-you-can-t-have-a-rainbow/) [Andrea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea/) > [Even in a world with much sadness, at its essence, life is beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-reeves/even-in-a-world-with-much-sadness-at-its-essence-life-is-beautiful/) [Dianne Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-reeves/) > [To me, spending millions of dollars recreating the world's sadness with actors and props and sets - it seems like a kind of arrogant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taika-waititi/to-me-spending-millions-of-dollars-recreating-the-world-s-sadness/) [Taika Waititi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taika-waititi/) > [Who in the world has not yearned for a loved one, has never said, If only he or she could come back just once,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/who-in-the-world-has-not-yearned-for-a-loved-one-has-never-said-if/) [Ismail Kadaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [In a world where there is so much sadness and so much to be afraid of, good things do happen to people. Romance is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-quinlan/in-a-world-where-there-is-so-much-sadness-and-so-much-to-be-afraid-of/) [Kathleen Quinlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-quinlan/) > [What protects you in this world from sadness and from the loss of an ability to do something? ... Work and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maira-kalman/what-protects-you-in-this-world-from-sadness-and-from-the-loss-of-an/) [Maira Kalman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maira-kalman/) > [Long hours trail in their purple and long years are lost in just this moment while our souls are near, our mouths separate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilda-doolittle/long-hours-trail-in-their-purple-and-long-years-are-lost-in-just-this/) [Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilda-doolittle/) > [“I remembered that once, as a child, I was filled with wonder, that I had marveled at tri-folded science projects, encyclopedias, and road atlases.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-remembered-that-once-as-a-child-i-was-filled-with-wonder-that-i-had/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [My entire childhood was a sacrifice: I was in and out of institutes until I was 17. 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Everyone I knew is dead, the empire gone, and who knows in what state the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-sullivan/verily-for-nine-hundred-years-have-i-lost-everyone-i-knew-is-dead-the/) [Michael J. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-sullivan/) > [“people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/people-forgot-about-the-rich-years-and-during-the-wet-years-they-lost/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## 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? 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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 Despair quotes > [“As ofttimes as it rains on my little spot of earth, you'd think I'd grow accustomed to the gloom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/as-ofttimes-as-it-rains-on-my-little-spot-of-earth-you-d-think-i-d/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“She searched her mind for a single day when it had felt good to be alive. There must have been one, surely?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-abbott/she-searched-her-mind-for-a-single-day-when-it-had-felt-good-to-be/) [Rachel Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-abbott/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Your spirit is the part of you that seeks meaning and purpose. It's the part drawn to hope, that will not give in to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/your-spirit-is-the-part-of-you-that-seeks-meaning-and-purpose-it-s/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [My God, whose son, as on this night, took on Him the form of man, and for man vouchsafed to suffer and bleed, controls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-god-whose-son-as-on-this-night-took-on-him-the-form-of-man-and-for/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [The modernist writers found despair inspirational.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-modernist-writers-found-despair-inspirational/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The skin and shell of things Though fair are not Thy wish nor prayer but got My meer despair of wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/the-skin-and-shell-of-things-though-fair-are-not-thy-wish-nor-prayer/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [“A fine setting for a fit of despair,” it occurred to him, “if I were only standing here by accident instead of design.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/a-fine-setting-for-a-fit-of-despair-it-occurred-to-him-if-i-were-only/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Enough for this bow & arrow. It caused me nothing but sorrow. No need for another tomorrow. In your heart, I will never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louaiq8/enough-for-this-bow-arrow-it-caused-me-nothing-but-sorrow-no-need-for/) [Louaiq8](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louaiq8/) > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Do not consider despair as a thick and high wall standing on your way; it is just a darkness and you can still walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/do-not-consider-despair-as-a-thick-and-high-wall-standing-on-your-way/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim. 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Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Browse all 3,181 Despair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There were a few years there, lost in borderless despair, when I used to experience all the world’s sadness as my own.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elizabeth Gilbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/there-were-a-few-years-there-lost-in-borderless-despair-when-i-used/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Despair" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/there-were-a-few-years-there-lost-in-borderless-despair-when-i-used/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/elizabeth-gilbert-131_sadness_there-were-a-few-years-there-lost-in-bor_1180250.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/elizabeth-gilbert-131_sadness_there-were-a-few-years-there-lost-in-bor_1180250.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/elizabeth-gilbert-131_sadness_there-were-a-few-years-there-lost-in-bor_1180250.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There were a few years there, lost in borderless despair, when I used to experience all the world’s sadness…” — 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": "“There were a few years there,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/there-were-a-few-years-there-lost-in-borderless-despair-when-i-used/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/there-were-a-few-years-there-lost-in-borderless-despair-when-i-used/#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 } } ] } ```