--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And without Dex in my life, I like to…" description: "\"And without Dex in my life, I like to think I could have somehow found contentment. But the truth is, I feel freer with Dex than I ever did when I was ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/emily-giffin-938_contentment_and-without-dex-in-my-life-i-like-to-thi_885958.png" --- # And without Dex in my life, I like to think I could have… ![“And without Dex in my life, I like to think I could have somehow found contentment. But the truth is, I feel freer with Dex than I ever did when I was single. I feel more myself with him than without. Maybe true love does that” quote by Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/emily-giffin-938_contentment_and-without-dex-in-my-life-i-like-to-thi_885958.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/emily-giffin-938_contentment_and-without-dex-in-my-life-i-like-to-thi_885958.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/emily-giffin-938_contentment_and-without-dex-in-my-life-i-like-to-thi_885958.png) > “And without Dex in my life, I like to think I could have somehow found contentment. But the truth is, I feel freer with Dex than I ever did when I was single. I feel more myself with him than without. Maybe true love does that” [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True love can make you feel freer and more authentic than being single, suggesting partnership can enhance personal fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Love can free you and make you yourself. Key Takeaway Embrace relationships that nurture authenticity. Themes love self‑discovery freedom relationships identity Mood reflective hopeful Type romantic psychological When to use this quote - dating - long‑term partnership - personal growth - relationship counseling Key Concepts attachment theory self‑actualization emotional intimacy Questions to Reflect On - What does “freer” mean to you in a relationship? - Can love coexist with personal independence? A Different Perspective Romantic love may also bring dependency or conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentment/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“...it has crossed my mind that the key to happiness should not be found in a man. That an independent, strong woman should feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/it-has-crossed-my-mind-that-the-key-to-happiness-should-not-be-found/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“I feel freer with Dex than I ever did single, I feel more myself with him than without maybe true love does that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-feel-freer-with-dex-than-i-ever-did-single-i-feel-more-myself-with/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [When you're heartbroken, you're at your most creative - you have to channel all your energies into something else to not think about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-welch/when-you-re-heartbroken-you-re-at-your-most-creative-you-have-to/) [Florence Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-welch/) > [ “I think it's contentment. Where you have everything you ever wanted, all together in one place. It's quieter than excitement, but, \[...\] maybe it's better.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-anastasiu/i-think-it-s-contentment-where-you-have-everything-you-ever-wanted/) [Heather Anastasiu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-anastasiu/) > [“We often think contentment is something that happens to us, rather than something that we take pains to learn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-wilson/we-often-think-contentment-is-something-that-happens-to-us-rather/) [Nancy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-wilson/) > [There's a lot of pressure to make products better. I don't feel freer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-mangano/there-s-a-lot-of-pressure-to-make-products-better-i-don-t-feel-freer/) [Joy Mangano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-mangano/) > [Doing acting opened up other creative outlets; it made me feel freer as an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/common/doing-acting-opened-up-other-creative-outlets-it-made-me-feel-freer/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/common/) > [There's something about singing that I just love. It makes me feel freer than anything in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/there-s-something-about-singing-that-i-just-love-it-makes-me-feel/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I feel much freer now that I am certain the pope is the Antichrist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/i-feel-much-freer-now-that-i-am-certain-the-pope-is-the-antichrist/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Nothing makes an actor feel freer and more inventive and more creative than being trusted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kline/nothing-makes-an-actor-feel-freer-and-more-inventive-and-more/) [Kevin Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kline/) > [Certainly the people who are close to me are happier. They feel freer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/certainly-the-people-who-are-close-to-me-are-happier-they-feel-freer/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [“People who would feel obligated to be honest somehow feel freer when asked for their candor; they have a choice about whether to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/people-who-would-feel-obligated-to-be-honest-somehow-feel-freer-when/) [Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/) > [I soon discovered that if you keep your mouth shut, people are apt to believe you know everything, and they begin to feel freer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-soon-discovered-that-if-you-keep-your-mouth-shut-people-are-apt-to/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [I like who I am now. Other people may not. I'm comfortable. I feel freer now. I don't want growing older to matter to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/i-like-who-i-am-now-other-people-may-not-i-m-comfortable-i-feel-freer/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [What would the world look like if we asked ourselves the following more often; are our actions helping others find a way to feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/what-would-the-world-look-like-if-we-asked-ourselves-the-following/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) ## More by Emily Giffin > [I try to have something in common with my protagonists, especially when I'm writing in the first person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-try-to-have-something-in-common-with-my-protagonists-especially/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I think exercise is critical to my writing and an essential way to recharge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-think-exercise-is-critical-to-my-writing-and-an-essential-way-to/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“Grab his penis like this, and I guarantee, it’s a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/grab-his-penis-like-this-and-i-guarantee-it-s-a-done-deal/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“Well, anyway… it’s over,” I say, realizing that those two words lump me right in with a hoard of naive women who say it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/well-anyway-it-s-over-i-say-realizing-that-those-two-words-lump-me/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [There are two kinds of sorry. There is the sorry imbued with regret. And a pure sorry. The kind that is merely asking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/there-are-two-kinds-of-sorry-there-is-the-sorry-imbued-with-regret/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [Throw in the intensity of emotions that come with that bittersweet summer sandwiched between high school graduation and the rest of your life...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/throw-in-the-intensity-of-emotions-that-come-with-that-bittersweet/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“You can never be too sure when it comes to things that matter most”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/you-can-never-be-too-sure-when-it-comes-to-things-that-matter-most/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“It occurs to me that she is not unique--that all women compare lives. We are aware of whose husband works more, who helps more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/it-occurs-to-me-that-she-is-not-unique-that-all-women-compare-lives/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“I desperately want to feel that way again. To be in a relationship that I’m not trying to script or water down. It’s about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-desperately-want-to-feel-that-way-again-to-be-in-a-relationship/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I always find something in common with my protagonist, particularly when I write in the first person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-always-find-something-in-common-with-my-protagonist-particularly/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [There is no grief like heartbreak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/there-is-no-grief-like-heartbreak/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I find my voice and manage to say those three one-syllable words back to him. Words I haven't uttered in a very, very long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-find-my-voice-and-manage-to-say-those-three-one-syllable-words-back/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [i wish i could freeze this moment, somehow delay my final decision, and just hang here in the balance between two places, two worlds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-wish-i-could-freeze-this-moment-somehow-delay-my-final-decision-and/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I try to write about real women, real people - in other words flawed characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-try-to-write-about-real-women-real-people-in-other-words-flawed/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“never had a good gut feeling. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t have faith in my team, but that I maintained the truest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/never-had-a-good-gut-feeling-it-wasn-t-so-much-that-i-didn-t-have/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) [Explore all 324 Emily Giffin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) ## More Contentment quotes > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I may not have everything I want in life but I have all I will ever need to make my life complete, my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-may-not-have-everything-i-want-in-life-but-i-have-all-i-will-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can find as much happiness at the bottom of the ladder of success as you can at the top, then you understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-krause/if-you-can-find-as-much-happiness-at-the-bottom-of-the-ladder-of/) [Tom Krause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-krause/) > [There are two sorts of content; one is connected with exertion, the other with habits of indolence. The first is a virtue; the other,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-edgeworth/there-are-two-sorts-of-content-one-is-connected-with-exertion-the/) [Maria Edgeworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-edgeworth/) > [“When we perform at our highest level of potential, we are content. Because we have given I best in what we enjoy doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-j-barrier/when-we-perform-at-our-highest-level-of-potential-we-are-content/) [Ellen J. Barrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-j-barrier/) > [Money is made at Christmas out of holly and mistletoe, but who save the vendors would greatly care if no green branch were procurable?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/money-is-made-at-christmas-out-of-holly-and-mistletoe-but-who-save/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [My crown is in my heart, not on my head; not decked with diamonds and Indian stones, nor to be seen: my crown is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/my-crown-is-in-my-heart-not-on-my-head-not-decked-with-diamonds-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Most of us are not content with our lot because we want a lot more](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianette-carbito/most-of-us-are-not-content-with-our-lot-because-we-want-a-lot-more/) [Marianette Carbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianette-carbito/) > [Pleasure simply brings more craving, but the problem is that we try to get contentment through pleasure. True contentment can only come through service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/pleasure-simply-brings-more-craving-but-the-problem-is-that-we-try-to/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [Every human always wants more. We're never satisfied. True happiness doesn't come until we're fully satisfied with what we have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-human-always-wants-more-we-re-never-satisfied-true-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I was so nearly happy. There remained only a tiny something, something unexplained and inexplicable that buzzed in my ear when the lights were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-rooney/i-was-so-nearly-happy-there-remained-only-a-tiny-something-something/) Jennie Rooney > [I know well, Monsieur, how much you have to endure in your present duty, and I ask Our Lord to strengthen you in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/i-know-well-monsieur-how-much-you-have-to-endure-in-your-present-duty/) [Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/) > [One often learns more from ten days of agony than ten years of contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/one-often-learns-more-from-ten-days-of-agony-than-ten-years-of/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [Stop complaining and start accepting, everything happens for a reason, you may not notice the importance of the things that you have now, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hemantsmarty/stop-complaining-and-start-accepting-everything-happens-for-a-reason/) Hemantsmarty > [True intimacy is the experience of real acceptance and authentic vulnerability without feeling the need to apologize or fear rejection. The freedom to just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-blake-michiels/true-intimacy-is-the-experience-of-real-acceptance-and-authentic/) [Jordan Blake Michiels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-blake-michiels/) [Browse all 1,355 Contentment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And without Dex in my life, I like to think I could have somehow found contentment. But the truth is, I feel freer with Dex than I ever did when I was single. I feel more myself with him than without. 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