Family members Quote by Jeffrey Eugenides
““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
Explores desire for nuanced emotional vocabularies that capture paradoxical feelings.
In simple terms: Wants words for complex, mixed emotions.
Key Takeaway
Create language for contradictory feelings.
Themes
emotion
language
complexity
paradox
creativity
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- writing
- therapy
- artistic expression
- social discourse
Key Concepts
psychology
semantics
literature
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we integrate new emotional terms into everyday speech?
- What benefit does naming paradoxical feelings provide?
A Different Perspective
Such terms may be obscure and hard to adopt widely.
