Art of life Quote by George Eliot
““...when Maggie became conscious that she was the person he sought, she felt, in spite of all the thought that had gone before, a glowing gladness at heart. Her eyes and cheeks were still brightened with her childlike enthusiasm in the dance; her whole frame was set to joy and tenderness; even the coming pain could not seem bitter -- she was ready to welcome it as a part of life, for life at this moment seemed a keen vibrating consciousness poised above please or pain. This one, this last night, she might expand unrestrainedly in the warmth of the present without those chill, eating thoughts of the past and the future.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Middlemarch, 1871
Realizing love as a conscious, joyful acceptance of life’s pain and pleasure, expanding present awareness.
In simple terms: Love brings joyful acceptance of life.
Key Takeaway
Embrace love fully, despite pain.
Themes
love
acceptance
presence
Mood
hopeful
reflective
Type
literary
emotional
When to use this quote
- Relationships
- grief counseling
- mindful living
Key Concepts
Romanticism
psychology of love
Questions to Reflect On
- How does love change perception of pain?
- Can joy coexist with sorrow?
A Different Perspective
Idealized love may overlook real challenges.
![“[We] have a tendency during meetings to let our minds run wild and cycle through a plethora of thoughts about the past and the future, destroying any aspirations for Zen-like calm and preventing us from being in the here and now: Did I turn off the stove? What will I do for lunch? When do I need…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/deb/daniel-j-levitin-2-165286_dreams_we-have-a-tendency-during-meetings-to-le_314008.jpg)
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
