Bliss Quote by Elizabeth Strout
““And then later, as the ambulance went faster, Abel felt not fear but a strange exquisite joy, the bliss of things finally and irretrievably out of his control, unpeeled, unpeeling now. Yet there was a streak of something else, as though just outside his reach was the twinkle of a light, as though a Christmas window was there; this puzzled him and pleased him, and in his state of tired ecstasy it seemed almost to come to him.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The Joy of Control”, 2015
In moments of loss of control, a paradoxical joy emerges, mingled with curiosity and awe.
In simple terms: Loss of control can bring strange joy.
Key Takeaway
Embrace uncertainty’s strange joy.
Themes
control
joy
uncertainty
curiosity
Mood
introspective
hopeful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- adventure sports
- creative work
- grief processing
- spiritual practice
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
emotional complexity
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the “twinkle of a light” symbolize for you?
- How can you find joy in uncontrollable moments?
A Different Perspective
Joy may be fleeting and tied to pain.
