--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Emotions, in my experience, aren’t…" description: "\"“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 i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/jeffrey-eugenides-462_emotions_emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered_2697214.png" --- # Emotions, in my experience, aren’t covered by single… ![“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…” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/jeffrey-eugenides-462_emotions_emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered_2697214.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/jeffrey-eugenides-462_emotions_emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered_2697214.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/jeffrey-eugenides-462_emotions_emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered_2697214.png) > ““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.”” [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Emotions Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions-experience-1406169/) [Emotions Germanic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions-germanic-2194007/) [Family members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-members/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Hybrid Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hybrid-emotions-1574146/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Middle age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-age/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Word Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-sadness-2194008/) ## Related quotes > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered-by-single-words-i-don-t-3/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-d-like-to-have-at-my-disposal-complicated-hybrid-emotions-germanic/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Emotions, in my experience aren't covered by single words. I don't believe in "sadness," "joy," or "regret." I'd like to have at my disposal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered-by-single-words-i-don-t/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Emotions, in my experience, aren't covered by single words. I don't believe in 'sadness,' 'joy,' or 'regret' . . . It oversimplifies feeling. I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered-by-single-words-i-don-t-5/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“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.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/maybe-the-best-proof-that-the-language-is-patriarchal-is-that-it-2/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered-by-single-words-i-don-t-2/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-d-like-to-have-a-word-for-the-sadness-inspired-by-failing/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-d-like-to-show-how-intimations-of-mortality-brought-on-by-aging/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Hip-hop, pop, dance - the common point is melancholy. That's international, and I like this word because it's not only about sadness or happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/hip-hop-pop-dance-the-common-point-is-melancholy-that-s-international/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [The important thing is being capable of emotions, but to experience only one's own would be a sorry limitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/the-important-thing-is-being-capable-of-emotions-but-to-experience/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [If you think about it, when you listen to music, music makes you cry. It makes you happy. It makes you dance. It makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zak-bagans/if-you-think-about-it-when-you-listen-to-music-music-makes-you-cry-it/) [Zak Bagans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zak-bagans/) > [God gave me emotions so I could experience life, not destroy it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/god-gave-me-emotions-so-i-could-experience-life-not-destroy-it/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [Being able to channel my creativity, emotions and experience through a character was and is freedom for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-parker-jones/being-able-to-channel-my-creativity-emotions-and-experience-through-a/) [April Parker Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-parker-jones/) > [You have to simply admire the intense emotions one can experience when a Picture can make you relive the best moments of your life...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-mendoza/you-have-to-simply-admire-the-intense-emotions-one-can-experience/) [Jose Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-mendoza/) > [What emotions would we experience if we weren't working ourselves to death? What wishes drive us? What fantasies hitch themselves to our continual busyness?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/what-emotions-would-we-experience-if-we-weren-t-working-ourselves-to/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) ## More by Jeffrey Eugenides > [“Only the Lisbon house remained dark, a tunnel, an emptiness, past our smoke and flames.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/only-the-lisbon-house-remained-dark-a-tunnel-an-emptiness-past-our/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [It's often said that a traumatic experience early in life marks a person forever, pulls her out of line, saying, "Stay there. Don't move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-s-often-said-that-a-traumatic-experience-early-in-life-marks-a/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Adolescents tend to seek love where they can find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/adolescents-tend-to-seek-love-where-they-can-find-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“The window was still open,” Mr Lisbon said. “I don’t think we’d ever remembered to shut it. It was all clear to me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/the-window-was-still-open-mr-lisbon-said-i-don-t-think-we-d-ever/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I was aware that you weren't supposed to write about suburbia, that it was undignified in some way, the subject matter not momentous enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-was-aware-that-you-weren-t-supposed-to-write-about-suburbia-that-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Dr. Armonson stitched up her wrist wounds. Within five minutes of the transfusion he declared her out of danger. Chucking her under the chin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/dr-armonson-stitched-up-her-wrist-wounds-within-five-minutes-of-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“I don't approve of women driving, mind you. And now they get to vote!" He grumbled to himself. "Remember that play we saw ("The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-don-t-approve-of-women-driving-mind-you-and-now-they-get-to-vote-he/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Her face was calm, but inside she was tense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/her-face-was-calm-but-inside-she-was-tense/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I know that attaching memories to books may be going out of the world, but while it lasts, it's a strong record of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-know-that-attaching-memories-to-books-may-be-going-out-of-the-world/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I spend most of every day writing. I like to write every day if I can. I don't start extremely early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-spend-most-of-every-day-writing-i-like-to-write-every-day-if-i-can/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/maybe-the-best-proof-that-the-language-is-patriarchal-is-that-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [We knew that Cecilia had killed herself because she was a misfit, because the beyond called to her, and we knew that her sisters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-knew-that-cecilia-had-killed-herself-because-she-was-a-misfit/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [You can tell when something's not moving forward anymore. When the doubts you have about it don't go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/you-can-tell-when-something-s-not-moving-forward-anymore-when-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Normality wasn't normal. It couldn't be. If normality were normal, everybody could leave it alone. They could sit back and let normality manifest itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/normality-wasn-t-normal-it-couldn-t-be-if-normality-were-normal/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) [Explore all 516 Jeffrey Eugenides quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## More Emotions quotes > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [On stage, you can bring all those strong emotions that you don't have the opportunity to live. You don't want to die for love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/on-stage-you-can-bring-all-those-strong-emotions-that-you-don-t-have/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [You will never fully understand how much you mean to me, because there are no amount of words that can begin to describe my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-fully-understand-how-much-you-mean-to-me-because-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Of course I like you. It's because I like you I don't wanna be with you. It's a complicated emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin/of-course-i-like-you-it-s-because-i-like-you-i-don-t-wanna-be-with/) [Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlin/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My mind has trouble processing all the emotions I feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-mind-has-trouble-processing-all-the-emotions-i-feel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Its a lack of clarity that creates chaos and frustration. Those emotions are poison to any living goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/its-a-lack-of-clarity-that-creates-chaos-and-frustration-those/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. 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Help me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-daugherty/god-help-me-to-focus-on-truth-instead-of-the-trial-help-me-to-give/) [Whitney Daugherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-daugherty/) > [Love is an ocean of emotions entirely sorrounded by expensee..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-an-ocean-of-emotions-entirely-sorrounded-by-expensee/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood and was raised by a man who did not emote, ever... I always cry at movies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-grew-up-in-a-blue-collar-neighborhood-and-was-raised-by-a-man-who/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) [Browse all 4,415 Emotions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered-by-single-words-i-don-t-4/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Emotions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered-by-single-words-i-don-t-4/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/jeffrey-eugenides-462_emotions_emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered_2697214.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/jeffrey-eugenides-462_emotions_emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered_2697214.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/jeffrey-eugenides-462_emotions_emotions-in-my-experience-aren-t-covered_2697214.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Emotions, in my experience, aren’t covered by single words. 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