Aging Quote by Gail Jones
““Camus had said in his 'Carnets' that the lives of others appear always, from the outside, to have a completion our own dismally lacks. Only when we understand this as a projection - that our lives, too, are unclosed and contingent - do we approach maturity. Alice felt immature. She felt that she was a spy in the cold.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Five Bells, 2007
We often view others’ lives as complete while seeing our own as unfinished; recognizing this projection helps us mature and accept life’s openness.
In simple terms: Seeing others as complete hides our own incompleteness.
Key Takeaway
Accept life’s unfinished nature.
Themes
growth
perspective
acceptance
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- career planning
- creative projects
- personal loss
- therapy
Key Concepts
projection
maturity
contingency
Questions to Reflect On
- What “complete” images do you hold of others?
- How can you embrace your own openness?
A Different Perspective
Denial of one’s own incompleteness can stall growth.
![“During the '80s, those you would call the young philosophers of France, such as Bernard-Henri Lévy and [André ] Gluxman, pointed out that Camus had said things no one wanted to hear in the political arena. They said it was [Albert] Camus who was right, not those who had slid under the influence of…” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9fe/catherine-camus-12238_80s_during-the-80s-those-you-would-call-the_3148442.jpg)
![“I couldn't ever act or think on behalf of what my father [[Albert Camus]] would have said or done. He's an artist, he considers himself an artist, and so he takes on the responsibility of speaking for those who are not given the means or the opportunity.” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/872/catherine-camus-12238_art_i-couldn-t-ever-act-or-think-on-behalf-o_48718.jpg)
