--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My life's a tangle of past and present…" description: "\"“My life's a tangle of past and present, like two separate puzzles with their pieces tumbled together. Nothing fits.”\" — Emily Murdoch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/emily-murdoch-22785_adjustment_my-life-s-a-tangle-of-past-and-present-l_230560.jpg" --- # My life's a tangle of past and present, like two separate… ![“My life's a tangle of past and present, like two separate puzzles with their pieces tumbled together. Nothing fits.” quote by Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/emily-murdoch-22785_adjustment_my-life-s-a-tangle-of-past-and-present-l_230560.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/emily-murdoch-22785_adjustment_my-life-s-a-tangle-of-past-and-present-l_230560.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/emily-murdoch-22785_adjustment_my-life-s-a-tangle-of-past-and-present-l_230560.jpg) > ““My life's a tangle of past and present, like two separate puzzles with their pieces tumbled together. Nothing fits.”” [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life feels tangled, with past and present pieces mixed, creating a sense of disconnection. **In simple terms:** Life feels tangled and disconnected. Key Takeaway Seek clarity and integrate experiences. Themes confusion time identity Mood reflective melancholic Type introspective emotional When to use this quote - therapy - creative writing - self‑reflection - decision making Key Concepts narrative fragmentation psychological tension Questions to Reflect On - What parts of your past remain unresolved? - How can you create coherence from scattered memories? A Different Perspective Not all puzzles can be neatly solved. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past and present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-and-present/) [Past present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-present/) [Tangle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tangle/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Families, doing everything for each other out of imagined obligation and always getting in each other's way, what a tangle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/families-doing-everything-for-each-other-out-of-imagined-obligation/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Which was strange, like watching a tangle of loose threads unravel and plait themselves into a single braided cord, stretching ahead into the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosamunde-pilcher/which-was-strange-like-watching-a-tangle-of-loose-threads-unravel-and/) [Rosamunde Pilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosamunde-pilcher/) > [“A tangle, you know, is more powerful than a single thread alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-nesbet/a-tangle-you-know-is-more-powerful-than-a-single-thread-alone/) [Anne Nesbet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-nesbet/) > [Tangle me up like Grandma's yarn,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/tangle-me-up-like-grandma-s-yarn/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [“Sometimes, when you look at a person, all you see is the tangle and you miss the weave.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-odell/sometimes-when-you-look-at-a-person-all-you-see-is-the-tangle-and-you/) [Jonathan Odell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-odell/) > [Under the comb, the tangle and the straight path are the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heraclitus/under-the-comb-the-tangle-and-the-straight-path-are-the-same/) [Heraclitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heraclitus/) > [ “It seemed to him that he both knew too much to imagine \[the child's\] simplicity and too little to disembroil his tangle.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-seemed-to-him-that-he-both-knew-too-much-to-imagine-the-child-s/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [You never can tell when a bad thing might make a good thing happen. I realized that good and bad were always there and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-law/you-never-can-tell-when-a-bad-thing-might-make-a-good-thing-happen-i/) [Ingrid Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-law/) > [“I realized that good and bad were always there and always mixed up together in a tangle" -Mibs”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-law/i-realized-that-good-and-bad-were-always-there-and-always-mixed-up/) [Ingrid Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-law/) > [“I got myself into a tangle. I tied myself in knots. I built and I built–heaven knows I have done that well. Those skyscrapers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rachman/i-got-myself-into-a-tangle-i-tied-myself-in-knots-i-built-and-i-built/) [Tom Rachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rachman/) > [Look at this tangle of thorns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/look-at-this-tangle-of-thorns/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“Damn, she was getting so tangled up by guilt and desire. ~Nikki in Texas Tangle”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-braemel/damn-she-was-getting-so-tangled-up-by-guilt-and-desire-nikki-in-texas/) [Leah Braemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-braemel/) > [“Their legs tangle together real easy. His hand goes over hers, fingers interlacing. So natural, too, as though they’d never said a harsh word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-stein/their-legs-tangle-together-real-easy-his-hand-goes-over-hers-fingers/) [Charlotte Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-stein/) > [What a tangle marriage can be!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonja-morgan/what-a-tangle-marriage-can-be/) [Sonja Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonja-morgan/) > [“I only know what it is that's wrong with him; not why it is." And what is it?" asked Lucy fearfully, expecting some harrowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/i-only-know-what-it-is-that-s-wrong-with-him-not-why-it-is-and-what/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) ## More by Emily Murdoch > [“I don't tell him I couldn't have gorged if I'd tried, my stomach stuffed full of butterflies and grown-up worries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/i-don-t-tell-him-i-couldn-t-have-gorged-if-i-d-tried-my-stomach/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“The snow wears moonlight like perfume.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/the-snow-wears-moonlight-like-perfume/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“My stomach squirms like worms (in a good way) just thinking about him. And I reckon when love's in short supply, you know it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/my-stomach-squirms-like-worms-in-a-good-way-just-thinking-about-him/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“We make attachments to what's familiar. We find the beauty, even in the lack. That's human. We make the best of what we're given.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/we-make-attachments-to-what-s-familiar-we-find-the-beauty-even-in-the/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“Wherever you are, I'll be there. Remember?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/wherever-you-are-i-ll-be-there-remember/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“Fake it through until you make it true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/fake-it-through-until-you-make-it-true/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“I answer her with my silence, understanding the full power of it for the first time. Words are weapons. Weapons are powerful. So are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/i-answer-her-with-my-silence-understanding-the-full-power-of-it-for/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“If you find me, take me home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/if-you-find-me-take-me-home/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“I hate her with the fury of gasoline set on fire. I burn for Jenessa, who deserves better than this, better than some screwed-up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/i-hate-her-with-the-fury-of-gasoline-set-on-fire-i-burn-for-jenessa/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“In a sea of trees turned into a sea of total strangers, familiar means everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/in-a-sea-of-trees-turned-into-a-sea-of-total-strangers-familiar-means/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“He had spoken in a whisper and she answered in one – though perhaps not how he had expected. “Do you not find it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/he-had-spoken-in-a-whisper-and-she-answered-in-one-though-perhaps-not/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“But I like how free sounds all poetic-like.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/but-i-like-how-free-sounds-all-poetic-like/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“Mama says no matter how poor folks are, whether you’re a have, a have-not, or break your mama’s back on the cracks in between,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/mama-says-no-matter-how-poor-folks-are-whether-you-re-a-have-a-have/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“Happiness is a song that plays you when you share it with the people who matter the most”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/happiness-is-a-song-that-plays-you-when-you-share-it-with-the-people/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) > [“A world is a world is a world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/a-world-is-a-world-is-a-world/) [Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) [Explore all 27 Emily Murdoch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/) ## More Adjustment quotes > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. 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And they have attained it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-chances-are-that-you-have-already-come-to-believe-that-happiness/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [The biggest adjustment from the minors was learning to spend $45 in meal money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-van-slyke/the-biggest-adjustment-from-the-minors-was-learning-to-spend-45-in/) [Andy Van Slyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-van-slyke/) > [Memory, with its fugitive adjustments, is the merciful veil to the grim enactments of the first law. It hides the anguish in the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-aumonier/memory-with-its-fugitive-adjustments-is-the-merciful-veil-to-the-grim/) [Stacy Aumonier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-aumonier/) > [Success comes from repeated efforts day in and day out. You learn from your mistakes, make adjustments and continue pressing forward until you achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/success-comes-from-repeated-efforts-day-in-and-day-out-you-learn-from/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [If your plan isn't working, adjust your plan. Never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-martin/if-your-plan-isn-t-working-adjust-your-plan-never-give-up/) Matt Martin > [I think I'm constantly in a state of adjustment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-think-i-m-constantly-in-a-state-of-adjustment/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [The terror of the atom age is not the violence of the new power but the speed of man's adjustment to it, the speed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/the-terror-of-the-atom-age-is-not-the-violence-of-the-new-power-but/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [I'm intrigued by films that have a singular vision behind them. A lot of studio movies have ten writers by the time they're done.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-gugino/i-m-intrigued-by-films-that-have-a-singular-vision-behind-them-a-lot/) [Carla Gugino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-gugino/) > [“It is not even governed by ‘nature’. It is simply a natural adjustment! ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/it-is-not-even-governed-by-nature-it-is-simply-a-natural-adjustment/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Time management is probably the biggest thing I've had to learn to deal with being on the PGA Tour, whether it be media or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickie-fowler/time-management-is-probably-the-biggest-thing-i-ve-had-to-learn-to/) [Rickie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickie-fowler/) > [Game management, game decisions, adjustments, seeing things during games - it's all important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-belichick/game-management-game-decisions-adjustments-seeing-things-during-games/) [Bill Belichick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-belichick/) > [Instead of imposing your will on every situation...focus on including everyone else, and just that little adjustment of attitude gives you the space to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/instead-of-imposing-your-will-on-every-situation-focus-on-including/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [A lot of people just thought I'd be a .260 hitter all my life. I was kind of like, 'Let me make some adjustments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-francoeur/a-lot-of-people-just-thought-i-d-be-a-260-hitter-all-my-life-i-was/) [Jeff Francoeur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-francoeur/) Browse all 391 Adjustment quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My life's a tangle of past and present, like two separate puzzles with their pieces tumbled together. 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