Emotions Quote by Jeffrey Eugenides
““Emotions, in my experience, aren’t covered by single words. I don’t believe in “sadness,” “joy,” or “regret.” Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling. I’d like to have at my disposal complicated hybrid emotions, Germanic train-car constructions like, say, “the happiness that attends disaster.” Or: “the disappointment of sleeping with one’s fantasy.” I’d like to show how “intimations of mortality brought on by aging family members” connects with “the hatred of mirrors that begins in middle age.” I’d like to have a word for “the sadness inspired by failing restaurants” as well as for “the excitement of getting a room with a minibar.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, Jeffrey Eugenides, 2021
The author argues that language simplifies complex emotions, calling for richer, hybrid terms to capture nuanced feelings.
In simple terms: Language limits how we describe feelings; we need more precise words.
Key Takeaway
Create or adopt richer emotional vocabularies.
Themes
language
emotion
complexity
gender
psychology
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- therapy sessions
- creative workshops
- literary criticism
Key Concepts
linguistics
philosophy
creative writing
Questions to Reflect On
- Which emotions do you feel lack a word?
- How could new terms change emotional awareness?
A Different Perspective
It may be impractical to develop universally accepted new terms.
