--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great loneliness- like the loneliness…" description: "\"The great loneliness- like the loneliness a caterpillar endures when she wraps herself in a silky shroud and begins the long transformation from chrysa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b3/elizabeth-lesser-1683_alive_the-great-loneliness-like-the-loneliness_186012.jpg" --- # The great loneliness- like the loneliness a caterpillar… ![“The great loneliness- like the loneliness a caterpillar endures when she wraps herself in a silky shroud and begins the long transformation from chrysalis to butterfly. It seems we too must go through such a time, when life as we have known it is over- when being a caterpillar feels somehow false…” quote by Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b3/elizabeth-lesser-1683_alive_the-great-loneliness-like-the-loneliness_186012.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b3/elizabeth-lesser-1683_alive_the-great-loneliness-like-the-loneliness_186012.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b3/elizabeth-lesser-1683_alive_the-great-loneliness-like-the-loneliness_186012.jpg) > “The great loneliness- like the loneliness a caterpillar endures when she wraps herself in a silky shroud and begins the long transformation from chrysalis to butterfly. It seems we too must go through such a time, when life as we have known it is over- when being a caterpillar feels somehow false and yet we don’t know who we are supposed to become. All we know is that something bigger is calling us to change. And though we must make the journey alone, and even if suffering is our only companion, soon enough we will become a butterfly, soon enough we will taste the rapture of being alive.” [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Transformation requires solitary struggle and suffering before emerging into a new, vibrant self. **In simple terms:** Change is painful but leads to growth. Key Takeaway Embrace hardship as a catalyst for growth. Themes personal growth transformation solitude resilience Mood hopeful inspirational Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career change - grief recovery - creative projects Key Concepts metamorphosis identity spiritual awakening Questions to Reflect On - What part of your life feels like a chrysalis? - How can you find meaning in your struggle? A Different Perspective Suffering may be overwhelming without support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Being alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-alone/) [Butterfly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/butterfly/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Chrysalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chrysalis/) [Companion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companion/) [Feeling lonely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-lonely/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Journey alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey-alone/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Rapture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapture/) [Soon enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soon-enough/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Transformation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transformation/) ## Related quotes > [There is no loneliness like the loneliness of a dead marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/there-is-no-loneliness-like-the-loneliness-of-a-dead-marriage/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [The completeness of this transformation appalled me. It was unlike anything I had imagined. I became two men, the serving one, and the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/the-completeness-of-this-transformation-appalled-me-it-was-unlike/) [John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/) > [What is the emotion of an empty inbox? An unliked Post? An ignored dating app message? I think there's a great loneliness that much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-weinstein/what-is-the-emotion-of-an-empty-inbox-an-unliked-post-an-ignored/) [Alexander Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-weinstein/) > [“The lives of men who have to live in our great cities are often tragically lonely. In many more ways than one, these dwellers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-wolfe/the-lives-of-men-who-have-to-live-in-our-great-cities-are-often/) [Thomas Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-wolfe/) > [It was a time of great loneliness. He had a group of friends, and suddenly I had no one and did not understand why.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/it-was-a-time-of-great-loneliness-he-had-a-group-of-friends-and/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [“She loved sinking into her bed on evenings like this, but apparently she shouldn't, because it worried her aunts, who thought she ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-florand/she-loved-sinking-into-her-bed-on-evenings-like-this-but-apparently/) [Laura Florand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-florand/) > [In my adolescence, I think I felt very outcast; I felt lonely. I felt great loneliness, and sometimes I wouldn't partake in Christmas, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leunig/in-my-adolescence-i-think-i-felt-very-outcast-i-felt-lonely-i-felt/) [Michael Leunig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leunig/) > [“Her voice was like loneliness. It was regret. She sang about a past you couldn't get out of and didn't want.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenna-yovanoff/her-voice-was-like-loneliness-it-was-regret-she-sang-about-a-past-you/) [Brenna Yovanoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenna-yovanoff/) > [Poverty is clearly one source of emotional suffering, but there are others, like loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/poverty-is-clearly-one-source-of-emotional-suffering-but-there-are-2/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“It was like his loneliness connected them more intimately and deeply than someone she could have known for years. Like she and Ben skipped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-gray/it-was-like-his-loneliness-connected-them-more-intimately-and-deeply/) [Amanda Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-gray/) > [It is necessary to like loneliness to be photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-depardon/it-is-necessary-to-like-loneliness-to-be-photographer/) [Raymond Depardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-depardon/) > [“My place smells like whatever loneliness smells like. Ramen and broken dreams or something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellen-burden/my-place-smells-like-whatever-loneliness-smells-like-ramen-and-broken/) Kellen Burden > [Still you feel like the loneliness is better replaced by this. I don't believe it this way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/all-that-remains/still-you-feel-like-the-loneliness-is-better-replaced-by-this-i-don-t/) [All That Remains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/all-that-remains/) > [“It's a rare thing these days, most people don't have time to stop, to allow themselves to be moulded and shaped by the Creation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avalina-kreska/it-s-a-rare-thing-these-days-most-people-don-t-have-time-to-stop-to/) Avalina Kreska > [Acceptance is so important because we cannot go through this journey alone. I am fortunate to have a very supportive family, but not all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazz-jennings/acceptance-is-so-important-because-we-cannot-go-through-this-journey/) [Jazz Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazz-jennings/) ## More by Elizabeth Lesser > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [“logotherapy,” which, in a nutshell, is about searching for the meaning packed in one’s baggage, something”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/logotherapy-which-in-a-nutshell-is-about-searching-for-the-meaning/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [“He was training people to become “sacred warriors”—not so that they could do battle with others but so that they could develop the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/he-was-training-people-to-become-sacred-warriors-not-so-that-they/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [“Rumi tells us that moment we accept what troubles we’ve been given, the door will open.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/rumi-tells-us-that-moment-we-accept-what-troubles-we-ve-been-given/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [If I pull from places of faith, joy and gratitude, then I have the wind of creativity behind me. And, my work in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/if-i-pull-from-places-of-faith-joy-and-gratitude-then-i-have-the-wind/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [I think as women and men become more conscious, the terms "woman/man" begin to lose meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/i-think-as-women-and-men-become-more-conscious-the-terms-woman-man/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [I actually don't think we're more divided than we were. I think it's more evident. It's more evident because of the internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/i-actually-don-t-think-we-re-more-divided-than-we-were-i-think-it-s/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [We think that maybe feminism isn't appropriate anymore, since Western women have really made enormous strides. But check out the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/we-think-that-maybe-feminism-isn-t-appropriate-anymore-since-western/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [Life is like a school; one can learn, one can graduate, one can skip a grade or stay behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/life-is-like-a-school-one-can-learn-one-can-graduate-one-can-skip-a/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [We must pay attention to the voice that calls us out of the safety zone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/we-must-pay-attention-to-the-voice-that-calls-us-out-of-the-safety/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When we descend all the way down to the bottom of loss, and dwell patiently, with an open heart, in the darkness and pain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/when-we-descend-all-the-way-down-to-the-bottom-of-loss-and-dwell/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [“I accept now that the point of life is not to reach perfection but to befriend the fact that human beings are works in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/i-accept-now-that-the-point-of-life-is-not-to-reach-perfection-but-to/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When women hear each other's stories, told from the heart, it gives us inspiration to keep on going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/when-women-hear-each-other-s-stories-told-from-the-heart-it-gives-us/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [“Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/patience-is-a-hard-discipline-it-is-not-just-waiting-until-something/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [“I recently heard a great writer say that an essential element in the life of a writer is to have been an outsider in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/i-recently-heard-a-great-writer-say-that-an-essential-element-in-the/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) [Explore all 216 Elizabeth Lesser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The great loneliness- like the loneliness a caterpillar endures when she wraps herself in a silky shroud and begins the long transformation from chrysalis to butterfly. It seems we too must go through such a time, when life as we have known it is over- when being a caterpillar feels somehow false and yet we don’t know who we are supposed to become. All we know is that something bigger is calling us to change. 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