--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wasn't it better if they kept this desire…" description: "\"Wasn't it better if they kept this desire to see each other hidden within them, and never actually got together? That way, there would always be hope i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05a/haruki-murakami-21_cups_wasn-t-it-better-if-they-kept-this-desir_2938997.jpg" --- # Wasn't it better if they kept this desire to see each… ![“Wasn't it better if they kept this desire to see each other hidden within them, and never actually got together? That way, there would always be hope in their hearts. That hope would be a small, yet vital flame that warmed them to their core-- a tiny flame to cup one's hands around and protect…” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05a/haruki-murakami-21_cups_wasn-t-it-better-if-they-kept-this-desir_2938997.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05a/haruki-murakami-21_cups_wasn-t-it-better-if-they-kept-this-desir_2938997.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05a/haruki-murakami-21_cups_wasn-t-it-better-if-they-kept-this-desir_2938997.jpg) > “Wasn't it better if they kept this desire to see each other hidden within them, and never actually got together? That way, there would always be hope in their hearts. That hope would be a small, yet vital flame that warmed them to their core-- a tiny flame to cup one's hands around and protect from the wind, a flame that the violent winds of reality might easily extinguish.” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Keeping desire hidden preserves hope, a small flame that warms hearts despite reality’s harsh winds. **In simple terms:** Hidden desire fuels a protective hope. Key Takeaway Cherish private hopes to sustain resilience. Themes hope desire resilience Mood poetic melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - creative writing - personal coping - spiritual practice Key Concepts inner longing emotional protection Questions to Reflect On - What hope do you keep private? - How does it sustain you? A Different Perspective Unexpressed desire may lead to stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cups/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Flame Warmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flame-warmed-4372797/) [Flames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flames/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Hearts Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearts-hope-2641938/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Tiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tiny/) [Tiny Flame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tiny-flame-2578667/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Violent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent/) [Vital Flame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vital-flame-4372798/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) [Wind Flame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind-flame-3575680/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [Distance to love is like the wind to a flame ; It extinguishes the small and ignites the great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-to-love-is-like-the-wind-to-a-flame-it-extinguishes-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The tiny flame that lights up the human heart is like a blazing torch that comes down from heaven to light up the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/the-tiny-flame-that-lights-up-the-human-heart-is-like-a-blazing-torch/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [One tiny flame could make so many other flames; one tiny flame could set afire a whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/one-tiny-flame-could-make-so-many-other-flames-one-tiny-flame-could/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [“Our challenge is to live with all the sincerity that is in our hearts, and hope that those who doubt will come to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/our-challenge-is-to-live-with-all-the-sincerity-that-is-in-our-hearts/) [Stephen P. 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The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. 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