--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What a lovely surprise to finally…" description: "\"What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be.\" — Ellen Burstyn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/ellen-burstyn-12671_being-alone_what-a-lovely-surprise-to-finally-discov_2727112.jpg" --- # What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely… ![“What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be.” quote by Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/ellen-burstyn-12671_being-alone_what-a-lovely-surprise-to-finally-discov_2727112.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/ellen-burstyn-12671_being-alone_what-a-lovely-surprise-to-finally-discov_2727112.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/ellen-burstyn-12671_being-alone_what-a-lovely-surprise-to-finally-discov_2727112.jpg) > “What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be.” [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being alone can be surprisingly pleasant and not lonely. **In simple terms:** Alone can be lovely. Key Takeaway Embrace solitude as a chance for self‑discovery. Themes solitude contentment self‑discovery Mood peaceful thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - creative work - travel - meditation Key Concepts psychology mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What makes solitude enjoyable? - How can you turn loneliness into contentment? A Different Perspective Some may feel isolation despite the claim. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-alone/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) ## Related quotes > [It's a miracle when we finally discover whom we're best equipped to serve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/it-s-a-miracle-when-we-finally-discover-whom-we-re-best-equipped-to/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [There was no script, but I said, 'I'm in, regardless' and was committed to Legends before I saw a single page.It was a lovely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/there-was-no-script-but-i-said-i-m-in-regardless-and-was-committed-to/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [When I finally retire, I just want to go away so no one has to listen to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/when-i-finally-retire-i-just-want-to-go-away-so-no-one-has-to-listen/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [From a tourist's point of view, you finally have time to travel, but you need to spend your time looking after your child. Club…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guo-guangchang/from-a-tourist-s-point-of-view-you-finally-have-time-to-travel-but/) [Guo Guangchang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guo-guangchang/) > [I feel like I've finally made it as an actor. I've been doing this for years and you don't always make a movie that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ealy/i-feel-like-i-ve-finally-made-it-as-an-actor-i-ve-been-doing-this-for/) [Michael Ealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ealy/) > [I wanted to get into films, and my parents were against it. I convinced my mom, and finally she convinced my dad. My dad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay/i-wanted-to-get-into-films-and-my-parents-were-against-it-i-convinced/) [Vijay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay/) > [We finally found our way we got the world in our hands...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/we-finally-found-our-way-we-got-the-world-in-our-hands/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [If people can finally recognize you on radio without being told who it is, that's what you aim for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-marr/if-people-can-finally-recognize-you-on-radio-without-being-told-who/) [Johnny Marr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-marr/) > [“When the noise finally”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-quinn/when-the-noise-finally/) C.S. Quinn > [Got my dream body!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/got-my-dream-body/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You think: Oh, here is the rest of my life. It’s finally arrived.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/you-think-oh-here-is-the-rest-of-my-life-it-s-finally-arrived/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [The truth, finally, is who can tell it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/the-truth-finally-is-who-can-tell-it/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [I thank you to my God, now I finally got it right and I'll fight with all of my heart and all my soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-thank-you-to-my-god-now-i-finally-got-it-right-and-i-ll-fight-with/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [“perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/perfection-is-finally-attained-not-when-there-is-no-longer-anything/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/) [W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/) ## More by Ellen Burstyn > [It's interesting: John Calley at Warner Bros. helped me put 'Alice' together. It was very unusual back then for a studio to support an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/it-s-interesting-john-calley-at-warner-bros-helped-me-put-alice/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [The real work of an actor goes on inside, and I don't think it changes from director to director - I always go for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/the-real-work-of-an-actor-goes-on-inside-and-i-don-t-think-it-changes/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [I feel eager to learn as much as I can, not only about my craft but the world and the cosmos and how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/i-feel-eager-to-learn-as-much-as-i-can-not-only-about-my-craft-but/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [I'm interested in the cosmos. I want to know what's out there and how connected we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/i-m-interested-in-the-cosmos-i-want-to-know-what-s-out-there-and-how/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [Bob Duvall is a great actor because each time out, he creates a whole, complete character. You have the feeling that you're not seeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/bob-duvall-is-a-great-actor-because-each-time-out-he-creates-a-whole/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [I talked to women who lived there, to get their speech patterns and outlook on life - and how narrow that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/i-talked-to-women-who-lived-there-to-get-their-speech-patterns-and/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [It's a sin to have your films not to make money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/it-s-a-sin-to-have-your-films-not-to-make-money/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [When I was 19, I took a train from Houston to New York, and I had in my lap the collected works of William…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/when-i-was-19-i-took-a-train-from-houston-to-new-york-and-i-had-in-my/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [Well my taste wasn't very good when I first started out. But later, when I began to appreciate the art of acting, I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/well-my-taste-wasn-t-very-good-when-i-first-started-out-but-later/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [Their life is about getting enough money to put food on the table to feed their children, and that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/their-life-is-about-getting-enough-money-to-put-food-on-the-table-to/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [The only Shakespeare I ever did was a production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' two years in a row in my garden in Rockland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/the-only-shakespeare-i-ever-did-was-a-production-of-a-midsummer-night/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [I couldn't kill a chicken, I couldn't kill a cow - I was a vegetarian too at that time - so I thought, well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/i-couldn-t-kill-a-chicken-i-couldn-t-kill-a-cow-i-was-a-vegetarian/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [I left my career in Hollywood, moved back to New York, and went to Lee Strasberg and studied with him for the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/i-left-my-career-in-hollywood-moved-back-to-new-york-and-went-to-lee/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [There's no doubt that the patriarchy that we live in also controls the movie industry. The heads of the studios are men, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/there-s-no-doubt-that-the-patriarchy-that-we-live-in-also-controls/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [I've liked all the directors I've worked with a lot. And the ones I like best are the ones that have really good taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/i-ve-liked-all-the-directors-i-ve-worked-with-a-lot-and-the-ones-i/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) [Explore all 53 Ellen Burstyn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) ## More Being alone quotes > [“Truth is, I’m generally happiest when it’s just me. It’s okay to be madly in love with yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/truth-is-i-m-generally-happiest-when-it-s-just-me-it-s-okay-to-be/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [A man in a bookstore buys a book on loneliness and every woman in the store hits on him. A woman buys a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/a-man-in-a-bookstore-buys-a-book-on-loneliness-and-every-woman-in-the/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Noone understands me,... not even myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syoung/noone-understands-me-not-even-myself/) Syoung > [Real love is a permanently self-enlarging experience…A Journey With My Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luckybannu/real-love-is-a-permanently-self-enlarging-experience-a-journey-with/) Luckybannu > [I'm hurt all the time. I don't want to cry for the way I feel inside. I just want someone to hold me... I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-hurt-all-the-time-i-don-t-want-to-cry-for-the-way-i-feel-inside-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You are terrifying, and strange, and beautiful. Something not everyone knows how to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warsan-shire/you-are-terrifying-and-strange-and-beautiful-something-not-everyone/) [Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/) > [I wish I had someone to love me as much as I could love them. It's hard being alone when everyone else you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-i-had-someone-to-love-me-as-much-as-i-could-love-them-it-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People think being alone makes you LONELY, But I don't think thats true. Being surrounded by wrong people is the loneliest thing in World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-think-being-alone-makes-you-lonely-but-i-don-t-think-thats/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't feel alone, because there is always someone out there who loves you more than you can imagine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-feel-alone-because-there-is-always-someone-out-there-who-loves/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Be much alone with God, and take time to get thoroughly acquainted. Converse over everything with Him. Unburden yourself wholly -every thought, feeling, wish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatius-bonar/be-much-alone-with-god-and-take-time-to-get-thoroughly-acquainted/) [Horatius Bonar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatius-bonar/) > [Fame always brings loneliness. Success is as ice cold and lonely as the North Pole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-baum/fame-always-brings-loneliness-success-is-as-ice-cold-and-lonely-as/) [Vicki Baum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-baum/) > [That moment when you burst out crying alone in your room. And you realize that no one truly knows how unhappy you are. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-moment-when-you-burst-out-crying-alone-in-your-room-and-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Loneliness hits the minds of those that thinks they are single and alone. There's always someone out there waiting patiently for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/loneliness-hits-the-minds-of-those-that-thinks-they-are-single-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im just gonna hide. Another face in your perfect world. Quiet as a mouse.Secretive as a sin. Darkly beautifully. Beautifully strange ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/im-just-gonna-hide-another-face-in-your-perfect-world-quiet-as-a/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) > [Im not totally mad at you. Im just sad. Youre all locked up in that little world of yours, and when I try knocking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/im-not-totally-mad-at-you-im-just-sad-youre-all-locked-up-in-that/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) [Browse all 978 Being alone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-alone/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ellen Burstyn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/what-a-lovely-surprise-to-finally-discover-how-unlonely-being-alone/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being alone" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/what-a-lovely-surprise-to-finally-discover-how-unlonely-being-alone/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/ellen-burstyn-12671_being-alone_what-a-lovely-surprise-to-finally-discov_2727112.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/ellen-burstyn-12671_being-alone_what-a-lovely-surprise-to-finally-discov_2727112.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/ellen-burstyn-12671_being-alone_what-a-lovely-surprise-to-finally-discov_2727112.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be.” — Ellen Burstyn", "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": "Ellen Burstyn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What a lovely surprise to finally...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/what-a-lovely-surprise-to-finally-discover-how-unlonely-being-alone/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/what-a-lovely-surprise-to-finally-discover-how-unlonely-being-alone/#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 } } ] } ```