--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Community, a place of healing and growth…" description: "\"“Community, a place of healing and growth . . . When people enter community, especially from a place of loneliness in a big city or from a place of agg..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/jean-vanier-3367_big-city_community-a-place-of-healing-and-growth_1766327.jpg" --- # Community, a place of healing and growth . . . When people… ![“Community, a place of healing and growth . . . When people enter community, especially from a place of loneliness in a big city or from a place of aggression and rejection, they find the warmth and the love exhilarating. This permits them to start lifting their masks and barriers and to become…” quote by Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/jean-vanier-3367_big-city_community-a-place-of-healing-and-growth_1766327.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/jean-vanier-3367_big-city_community-a-place-of-healing-and-growth_1766327.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/jean-vanier-3367_big-city_community-a-place-of-healing-and-growth_1766327.jpg) > ““Community, a place of healing and growth . . . When people enter community, especially from a place of loneliness in a big city or from a place of aggression and rejection, they find the warmth and the love exhilarating. This permits them to start lifting their masks and barriers and to become vulnerable. They may enter into a time of communion and great joy. But then too, as they lift their masks and become vulnerable, they discover that community can be a terrible place, because it is a place of relationship; it is the revelation of our wounded emotions and of how painful it can be to live with others, especially with some people. It is so much easier to live with books and objects, television, or dogs and cats! It is so much easier to live alone and just do things for others, when one feels like it.”” [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Community offers both comfort and pain; it fosters connection but also exposes personal wounds, making vulnerability both rewarding and challenging. **In simple terms:** Community brings joy and pain through shared vulnerability. Key Takeaway Embrace community while protecting personal boundaries. Themes community vulnerability healing relationships loneliness growth Mood hopeful cautious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - joining groups - support networks - personal therapy - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology social dynamics emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - What boundaries help maintain health in community? - How can we support those struggling with vulnerability? A Different Perspective Community can amplify conflict and emotional strain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-city/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Community Especially](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community-especially-616683/) [Dogs And Cats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dogs-and-cats/) [Enter Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enter-community-1737747/) [Healing And Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healing-and-growth-222839/) [Live alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-alone/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Place Healing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place-healing-1737748/) [Place Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place-loneliness-1737749/) ## Related quotes > [“Community, a place of healing and growth . . . The wound in all of us, and which we are all trying to flee,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/community-a-place-of-healing-and-growth-the-wound-in-all-of-us-and/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [You don't buy luxury to enter a community, but to set yourself apart from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-henri-pinault/you-don-t-buy-luxury-to-enter-a-community-but-to-set-yourself-apart/) [Francois-Henri Pinault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-henri-pinault/) > [“Community, a place of healing and growth . . . There are more and more groups today oriented towards issues and causes . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/community-a-place-of-healing-and-growth-there-are-more-and-more/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [“A mystifying sensation of loneliness shook him. Arthur had been alone before, to be sure, but to be alone while surrounded by people, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-moore/a-mystifying-sensation-of-loneliness-shook-him-arthur-had-been-alone/) [Graham Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-moore/) > [A lot of the LGBTQ community, especially the trans community, really embraced my sound for 'Yucky Blucky,' and, you know, people found a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doechii/a-lot-of-the-lgbtq-community-especially-the-trans-community-really/) [Doechii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doechii/) > [Five days a week I drive from our home to the Episcopal Cathedral Center of Los Angeles where I have an office, my computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/five-days-a-week-i-drive-from-our-home-to-the-episcopal-cathedral/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No Rain, No Flowers' is an inside look into my journey of healing and growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/no-rain-no-flowers-is-an-inside-look-into-my-journey-of-healing-and/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [“God has made provision for our sin in Christ. So when we struggle to believe and obey, we should run to Him, not from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/god-has-made-provision-for-our-sin-in-christ-so-when-we-struggle-to/) [Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/) > [“Born-again living seemed to me just a crutch which no longer facilitated healing and growth, but actually protracted immaturity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-price/born-again-living-seemed-to-me-just-a-crutch-which-no-longer/) [Robert M. Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-price/) > [Giving back to my community, especially children, is really important to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-bortles/giving-back-to-my-community-especially-children-is-really-important/) [Blake Bortles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-bortles/) > [I try to give back as much as I can to the community, especially in the area that I grew up in. I've donated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-burke/i-try-to-give-back-as-much-as-i-can-to-the-community-especially-in/) [Cheryl Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-burke/) > [“We need to have owned our stories before sharing them is experienced as a gift. A story is only ready to share when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-need-to-have-owned-our-stories-before-sharing-them-is-experienced/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [It's amazing that I've built this community, especially with a lot of my followers on social media, they're all generally queer, which is nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-consani/it-s-amazing-that-i-ve-built-this-community-especially-with-a-lot-of/) [Alex Consani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-consani/) > [“These pages testify to the discovery of uhnlikely gifts when we stay in community--especially when we stay after things get hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-heuertz/these-pages-testify-to-the-discovery-of-uhnlikely-gifts-when-we-stay/) [Christopher Heuertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-heuertz/) > [I've done so much healing on myself, been through personal hell, through hell in my relationships; my children have been through so much, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-oxenberg/i-ve-done-so-much-healing-on-myself-been-through-personal-hell/) [Catherine Oxenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-oxenberg/) ## More by Jean Vanier > [When we start helping the weak and the poor to rise everyone will begin to change. Those who have power and riches will start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/when-we-start-helping-the-weak-and-the-poor-to-rise-everyone-will/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [...Individualistic material progress and the desire to gain prestige by coming out on top have taken over from the sense of fellowship, compassion and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/individualistic-material-progress-and-the-desire-to-gain-prestige-by/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [To invite others to live with us is a sign that we aren't afraid, that we have a treasure of truth and of peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/to-invite-others-to-live-with-us-is-a-sign-that-we-aren-t-afraid-that/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [People are longing to rediscover true community. We have had enough of loneliness, independence and competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/people-are-longing-to-rediscover-true-community-we-have-had-enough-of/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [The person in misery does not need a look that judges and criticizes but a comforting presence that brings peace and hope and life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/the-person-in-misery-does-not-need-a-look-that-judges-and-criticizes/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [All of us have a secret desire to be seen as saints, heroes, martyrs. We are afraid to be children, to be ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/all-of-us-have-a-secret-desire-to-be-seen-as-saints-heroes-martyrs-we/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [To be free is to put justice, truth and service to others over and above our personal gain or our need for recognition, power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/to-be-free-is-to-put-justice-truth-and-service-to-others-over-and/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [If we love (the poor) people, we want to identify with them and share with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/if-we-love-the-poor-people-we-want-to-identify-with-them-and-share/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [“Sympathies and antipathies . . . Human friendships can very quickly become a club of mediocrities, enclosed in mutual flattery and approval, preventing people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/sympathies-and-antipathies-human-friendships-can-very-quickly-become/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [A community is only a community when the majority of its members are making the transition from 'the community for myself' to 'myself for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/a-community-is-only-a-community-when-the-majority-of-its-members-are/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [Each person is sacred, no matter what his or her culture, religion, handicap, or fragility. Each person is created in God’s image; each one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/each-person-is-sacred-no-matter-what-his-or-her-culture-religion/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [But let us not put our sights too high. We do not have to be saviours of the world! We are simply human beings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/but-let-us-not-put-our-sights-too-high-we-do-not-have-to-be-saviours/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [Each human being, however small or weak, has something to bring to humanity. As we start to really get to know others, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/each-human-being-however-small-or-weak-has-something-to-bring-to/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [“Have patience . . . We are not the masters of our own feelings of attraction or revulsion; these come from places in ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/have-patience-we-are-not-the-masters-of-our-own-feelings-of/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [The people with the best sense of what is essential to a community, of what gives and maintains its spirit, are often doing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/the-people-with-the-best-sense-of-what-is-essential-to-a-community-of/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) [Explore all 132 Jean Vanier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) ## More Big city quotes > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [“Looking at and 'appreciating' art has been understood as an instrument (or at best a result) of upward mobility, in which owning art is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-r-lippard/looking-at-and-appreciating-art-has-been-understood-as-an-instrument/) [Lucy R. Lippard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-r-lippard/) > [I grew up in New York City. We used to diss Long Island and Jersey. Every big city has its own suburb like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-joseph/i-grew-up-in-new-york-city-we-used-to-diss-long-island-and-jersey/) [Max Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-joseph/) > [“Let's make no mistake about this: The American Dream starts with the neighborhoods. If we wish to rebuild our cities, we must first rebuild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-milk/let-s-make-no-mistake-about-this-the-american-dream-starts-with-the/) [Harvey Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-milk/) > [“Taste is a matter of taste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mcinerney/taste-is-a-matter-of-taste/) [Jay McInerney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mcinerney/) > [I wasn't one of those kids who was like, 'Get me to New York. Get me to a big city.' I was always much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/i-wasn-t-one-of-those-kids-who-was-like-get-me-to-new-york-get-me-to/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [I think the Netherlands will become one big city at a point. It is inevitable when you live in a country with so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-jansen/i-think-the-netherlands-will-become-one-big-city-at-a-point-it-is/) [Theo Jansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-jansen/) > [“She said that certain facts are accessible only from one point of view – the point of view of the creature who experiences them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mcinerney/she-said-that-certain-facts-are-accessible-only-from-one-point-of/) [Jay McInerney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mcinerney/) > [I have always loved Manhattan, the bright lights, the big city!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-farr/i-have-always-loved-manhattan-the-bright-lights-the-big-city/) [Hilary Farr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-farr/) > [“When you live in New York or any big city, it is easy to fail at growing up. 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Mary M., Lucas thought, half hypnotized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-stone/there-were-icons-of-the-magdalen-on-the-walls-and-paintings-in-the/) [Robert Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-stone/) [Browse all 264 Big city quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-city/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Community, a place of healing and growth . . . When people enter community, especially from a place of loneliness in a big city or from a place of aggression and rejection, they find the warmth and the love exhilarating. This permits them to start lifting their masks and barriers and to become vulnerable. They may enter into a time of communion and great joy. 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