--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing we call romance is a diversion…" description: "\"The thing we call romance is a diversion from something truer, which is life.\" — Jamaica Kincaid" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/jamaica-kincaid-1540_diversion_the-thing-we-call-romance-is-a-diversion_576827.png" --- # The thing we call romance is a diversion from something… ![“The thing we call romance is a diversion from something truer, which is life.” quote by Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/jamaica-kincaid-1540_diversion_the-thing-we-call-romance-is-a-diversion_576827.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/jamaica-kincaid-1540_diversion_the-thing-we-call-romance-is-a-diversion_576827.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/jamaica-kincaid-1540_diversion_the-thing-we-call-romance-is-a-diversion_576827.png) > “The thing we call romance is a diversion from something truer, which is life.” [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Romance distracts from authentic life, suggesting love can be an escape from reality. **In simple terms:** Romance diverts from true life. Key Takeaway Seek authenticity over romantic distraction. Themes romance authenticity life illusion Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal relationships - career choices - creative pursuits Key Concepts existentialism critical love Questions to Reflect On - Is romance always a diversion? - How can love coexist with authentic living? A Different Perspective Romantic love can also inspire personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diversion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diversion/) [Diversion Truer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diversion-truer-4749730/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance/) [Romance Diversion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance-diversion-4749729/) [Thing Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-romance-723534/) [Truer Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truer-life-4749731/) ## Related quotes > [No, I was never that kind of guy. I believed in true romance; one-night stands are always going to leave you feeling cold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-tatum/no-i-was-never-that-kind-of-guy-i-believed-in-true-romance-one-night/) [Channing Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-tatum/) > [Here's the thing about romance novels: The moment when the hero and heroine discover that they're perfect for each other is often the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-maclean/here-s-the-thing-about-romance-novels-the-moment-when-the-hero-and/) [Sarah MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-maclean/) > [There's no such thing as adventure. There's no such thing as romance. There's only trouble and desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-hartley/there-s-no-such-thing-as-adventure-there-s-no-such-thing-as-romance/) [Hal Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-hartley/) > [“You know, it's a funny thing. The only Romance language Felipe doesn't happen to speak is Italian. But I go ahead and say it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/you-know-it-s-a-funny-thing-the-only-romance-language-felipe-doesn-t/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Love is not blind. Romance is. Romance is the most dangerous thing. Romance is like an illusion. It shows you things, and you hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hrithik-roshan/love-is-not-blind-romance-is-romance-is-the-most-dangerous-thing/) [Hrithik Roshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hrithik-roshan/) > [We know romance novels are a huge thing. Can we do a romance novel show on our network? I'm not sure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-dubuc/we-know-romance-novels-are-a-huge-thing-can-we-do-a-romance-novel/) [Nancy Dubuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-dubuc/) > [Race is not particularly interesting to me. Power is. Who has power and who doesn't. Slavery interests me because it's an incredible violation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/race-is-not-particularly-interesting-to-me-power-is-who-has-power-and/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [“Soon enough, we are all going to leave this earth for good. The thought of this alone should make us love deeply, and live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/soon-enough-we-are-all-going-to-leave-this-earth-for-good-the-thought/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [There's a diversion between economic reality - integration, global village, everybody depending on everybody else - and cultural reality, which is people feeling invaded,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-green/there-s-a-diversion-between-economic-reality-integration-global/) [Duncan Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-green/) > [A really hard laugh is like sex-one of the ultimate diversions of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/a-really-hard-laugh-is-like-sex-one-of-the-ultimate-diversions-of/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [And with iPods and iPads, and Xboxes and PlayStations - none of which I know how to work - information becomes a distraction, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/and-with-ipods-and-ipads-and-xboxes-and-playstations-none-of-which-i/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I believe certain members of the U.S. Congress have aided in the oppression and diversion of critical information that could have revealed a fullness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-gritz/i-believe-certain-members-of-the-u-s-congress-have-aided-in-the/) [Bo Gritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-gritz/) > [In many ways, my entire graphic novel career was a long diversion. Originally, all I wanted to do was to be an underground cartoonist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/in-many-ways-my-entire-graphic-novel-career-was-a-long-diversion/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“Diversion consoles us - in trivial ways - in the face of our miseries or perplexities; yet, paradoxically, it becomes the worst of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-groothuis/diversion-consoles-us-in-trivial-ways-in-the-face-of-our-miseries-or/) [Douglas Groothuis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-groothuis/) > [People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/people-of-the-same-trade-seldom-meet-together-even-for-merriment-and/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) ## More by Jamaica Kincaid > [I'm always telling my students go to law school or become a doctor, do something, and then write. First of all you should have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-m-always-telling-my-students-go-to-law-school-or-become-a-doctor-do/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [The slave trade was globalism. Why people insist that globalism, after its hideous history, is a good thing, I do not know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/the-slave-trade-was-globalism-why-people-insist-that-globalism-after/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [I have no credentials. I have no money. I literally come from a poor place. I was a servant. I dropped out of college.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-have-no-credentials-i-have-no-money-i-literally-come-from-a-poor/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [In my writing I'm trying to explore the violations people commit upon each other. And the important thing isn't whether I'm angry. The more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/in-my-writing-i-m-trying-to-explore-the-violations-people-commit-upon/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > ["Race." I really can't understand it as anything other than something people say. The people who have said that you and I are both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/race-i-really-can-t-understand-it-as-anything-other-than-something/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [Race as a subject only comes about because of what I look like. If I say something truthfully, people say "Oh, she's so angry."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/race-as-a-subject-only-comes-about-because-of-what-i-look-like-if-i/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [in the place I am from ... a grave is topped off with a huge mound of loose earth - carelessly, as if piled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/in-the-place-i-am-from-a-grave-is-topped-off-with-a-huge-mound-of/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [I like melancholy. I like to pretend that I'm alone in the world and I'm just sort of abandoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-like-melancholy-i-like-to-pretend-that-i-m-alone-in-the-world-and-i/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [I come from the small island of Antigua and I always wanted to write; I just didn't know that it was possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-come-from-the-small-island-of-antigua-and-i-always-wanted-to-write/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [“Have you ever wondered to yourself why it is that all people like me seem to have learned from you is how to imprison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/have-you-ever-wondered-to-yourself-why-it-is-that-all-people-like-me/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [Love and hatred don't take turns; they exist side by side at the same time. And one's duty, one's obligation every day, is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/love-and-hatred-don-t-take-turns-they-exist-side-by-side-at-the-same/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [“Do you see the queer thing about people like me? Sometimes we hold your retribution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/do-you-see-the-queer-thing-about-people-like-me-sometimes-we-hold/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [I didn't really understand racism because I grew up in an all-black society, so I didn't see how it was possible not to like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-didn-t-really-understand-racism-because-i-grew-up-in-an-all-black/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [A great piece of literature encompasses all that is and all that will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/a-great-piece-of-literature-encompasses-all-that-is-and-all-that-will/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [The people who invented race, who grouped us together as "black," were inventing and categorizing their ability to do something vicious and wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/the-people-who-invented-race-who-grouped-us-together-as-black-were/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) [Explore all 228 Jamaica Kincaid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) ## More Diversion quotes > [People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/people-of-the-same-trade-seldom-meet-together-even-for-merriment-and/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [“Diversion consoles us - in trivial ways - in the face of our miseries or perplexities; yet, paradoxically, it becomes the worst of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-groothuis/diversion-consoles-us-in-trivial-ways-in-the-face-of-our-miseries-or/) [Douglas Groothuis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-groothuis/) > [In many ways, my entire graphic novel career was a long diversion. Originally, all I wanted to do was to be an underground cartoonist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/in-many-ways-my-entire-graphic-novel-career-was-a-long-diversion/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [I believe certain members of the U.S. Congress have aided in the oppression and diversion of critical information that could have revealed a fullness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-gritz/i-believe-certain-members-of-the-u-s-congress-have-aided-in-the/) [Bo Gritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-gritz/) > [And with iPods and iPads, and Xboxes and PlayStations - none of which I know how to work - information becomes a distraction, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/and-with-ipods-and-ipads-and-xboxes-and-playstations-none-of-which-i/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [A really hard laugh is like sex-one of the ultimate diversions of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/a-really-hard-laugh-is-like-sex-one-of-the-ultimate-diversions-of/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [There's a diversion between economic reality - integration, global village, everybody depending on everybody else - and cultural reality, which is people feeling invaded,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-green/there-s-a-diversion-between-economic-reality-integration-global/) [Duncan Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-green/) > [“Soon enough, we are all going to leave this earth for good. The thought of this alone should make us love deeply, and live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/soon-enough-we-are-all-going-to-leave-this-earth-for-good-the-thought/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [The constitution has broken down. We have no enemies except the ones we select and direct towards the nearest nuclear bombs. They need an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-constitution-has-broken-down-we-have-no-enemies-except-the-ones/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Now, how do you explain Obama's claim, that he can kill American citizens without due process? Well, he has his attorney general get up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/now-how-do-you-explain-obama-s-claim-that-he-can-kill-american/) [Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/) > [This whole phenomenon of the diversion of organizations from their purposes and ideals does not seem very serious when the scum rise to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shea/this-whole-phenomenon-of-the-diversion-of-organizations-from-their/) [Robert Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shea/) > [Violence is not a catalyst but a diversion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/violence-is-not-a-catalyst-but-a-diversion/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [Amusement is a way of boredom-avoidance through external stimulation that fails to exercise our minds. It's mere diversion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/amusement-is-a-way-of-boredom-avoidance-through-external-stimulation/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [I was never jailed. The fact is that I was arrested, but I went into a diversion programme, and by that time I'd already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-soul/i-was-never-jailed-the-fact-is-that-i-was-arrested-but-i-went-into-a/) [David Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-soul/) > [“The only thing that consoles us for our miseries is diversion. And yet it is the greatest of our miseries. For it is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-only-thing-that-consoles-us-for-our-miseries-is-diversion-and-yet/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) [Browse all 188 Diversion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diversion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The thing we call romance is a diversion from something truer, which is life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jamaica Kincaid" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/the-thing-we-call-romance-is-a-diversion-from-something-truer-which/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Diversion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/the-thing-we-call-romance-is-a-diversion-from-something-truer-which/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/jamaica-kincaid-1540_diversion_the-thing-we-call-romance-is-a-diversion_576827.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/jamaica-kincaid-1540_diversion_the-thing-we-call-romance-is-a-diversion_576827.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/jamaica-kincaid-1540_diversion_the-thing-we-call-romance-is-a-diversion_576827.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The thing we call romance is a diversion from something truer, which is life.” — Jamaica Kincaid", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jamaica Kincaid", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The thing we call romance is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/the-thing-we-call-romance-is-a-diversion-from-something-truer-which/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/the-thing-we-call-romance-is-a-diversion-from-something-truer-which/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```