--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but…" description: "\"“Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but only when we ourselves are bitter and dark. And we deem her empty and unprofitable, but only when the soul g..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/kahlil-gibran-1330_awe_oftentimes-we-call-life-bitter-names-but_41520.jpg" --- # Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but only when we… ![“Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but only when we ourselves are bitter and dark. And we deem her empty and unprofitable, but only when the soul goes wandering in desolate places, and the heart is drunken with overmindfulness of self. Life is deep and high and distant; and though only your…” quote by Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/kahlil-gibran-1330_awe_oftentimes-we-call-life-bitter-names-but_41520.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/kahlil-gibran-1330_awe_oftentimes-we-call-life-bitter-names-but_41520.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/kahlil-gibran-1330_awe_oftentimes-we-call-life-bitter-names-but_41520.jpg) > ““Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but only when we ourselves are bitter and dark. And we deem her empty and unprofitable, but only when the soul goes wandering in desolate places, and the heart is drunken with overmindfulness of self. Life is deep and high and distant; and though only your vast vision can reach even her feet, yet she is near; and though only the breath of your breath reaches her heart, the shadow of your shadow crosses her face, and the echo of your faintest cry becomes a spring and an autumn in her breast. And life is veiled and hidden, even as your greater self is hidden and veiled. Yet when Life speaks, all the winds become words; and when she speaks again, the smiles upon your lips and the tears in your eyes turn also into words. When she sings, the deaf hear and are held; and when she comes walking, the sightless behold her and are amazed and follow her in wonder and astonishment.”” [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is perceived through our inner state; bitterness and emptiness arise from self‑absorption, while true awareness reveals its depth and presence. **In simple terms:** Our perception shapes life's meaning. Key Takeaway Self‑awareness transforms how we experience life. Themes perception self‑awareness spirituality nature transcendence Mood reflective awe‑inspiring melancholic Type philosophical poetic spiritual When to use this quote - contemplating personal crisis - seeking purpose - experiencing loss - practicing mindfulness Key Concepts inner state projection interconnectedness mystery Practical Applications - personal growth coaching - spiritual counseling Questions to Reflect On - How does your inner mood color your view of reality? - What practices can reveal life's hidden depth? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Tears in your eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears-in-your-eyes/) ## Related quotes > [Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but only when we ourselves are bitter and dark. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/i-ve-lived-my-whole-life-in-the-life-i-ve-lived-my-whole-life-doing/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [The way you keep your house, the way you organize your time, the care you take in your personal appearance, the things you spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/the-way-you-keep-your-house-the-way-you-organize-your-time-the-care/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [I believe everyday your life speaks to you - through every experience, through the people you meet, and even through pain, fear and self-doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-believe-everyday-your-life-speaks-to-you-through-every-experience/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [When one has never heard a man's name in the course of one's life, it speaks volumes for him; he must be quite respectable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/when-one-has-never-heard-a-man-s-name-in-the-course-of-one-s-life-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Music is the heart of life." She speaks love; "without it, there is no possible good and with it everything is beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-liszt/music-is-the-heart-of-life-she-speaks-love-without-it-there-is-no/) [Franz Liszt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-liszt/) > [There is a gentle thought that often springs to life in me, because it speaks of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/there-is-a-gentle-thought-that-often-springs-to-life-in-me-because-it/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [When you really love, that makes you feel unsure in your self, even though it is love that reaches your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/when-you-really-love-that-makes-you-feel-unsure-in-your-self-even/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [Cynie Cory roams the outer reaches of the heart’s territory, from the snowy winter of family life to the tropical jungles of love. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hamby/cynie-cory-roams-the-outer-reaches-of-the-heart-s-territory-from-the/) [Barbara Hamby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hamby/) > [When someone who's been homeless and actually had to take meals on the handout or steal purses on the backs of park benches to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-zimmern/when-someone-who-s-been-homeless-and-actually-had-to-take-meals-on/) [Andrew Zimmern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-zimmern/) > [It is only when your awareness reaches the heart that great progress from your practice is possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-langford/it-is-only-when-your-awareness-reaches-the-heart-that-great-progress/) [Michael Langford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-langford/) > [Pain reaches the heart with electrical speed, but truth moves to the heart as slowly as a glacier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/pain-reaches-the-heart-with-electrical-speed-but-truth-moves-to-the/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## More by Kahlil Gibran > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [“It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/it-is-to-build-a-house-with-affection-even-as-if-your-beloved-were-to/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [“The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/the-teacher-who-walks-in-the-shadow-of-the-temple-among-his-followers/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [We stood up and bade each other farewell, but love and despair stood between us like two ghosts, one stretching his wings with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/we-stood-up-and-bade-each-other-farewell-but-love-and-despair-stood/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [“And what is fear of need but need itself?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/and-what-is-fear-of-need-but-need-itself/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [“For God opens the doors of truth to him who knocks with the hand of faith”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/for-god-opens-the-doors-of-truth-to-him-who-knocks-with-the-hand-of/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [Who can depart from his pain and aloneness without regret? 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I love you worshipping in your church, kneeling in your temple, and praying in your mosque.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/you-are-my-brother-and-i-love-you-i-love-you-worshipping-in-your/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [“You need not fear, my love, for never have the stars on high told what they know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/you-need-not-fear-my-love-for-never-have-the-stars-on-high-told-what/) [Kahlil Gibrán](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [“The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/the-soul-walks-not-upon-a-line-neither-does-it-grow-like-a-reed/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [“For if you should enter the temple for no other purpose than asking you shall not receive:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/for-if-you-should-enter-the-temple-for-no-other-purpose-than-asking/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [“For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/for-even-as-love-crowns-you-so-shall-he-crucify-you-even-as-he-is-for/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [“The deeper that sorrow carves into your being,the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/the-deeper-that-sorrow-carves-into-your-being-the-more-joy-you-can/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [“You are good when you are fully awake in your speech.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/you-are-good-when-you-are-fully-awake-in-your-speech/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [I have learned silence from the talkative, tolerance from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strangely, I am ungrateful to these teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/i-have-learned-silence-from-the-talkative-tolerance-from-the/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) [Explore all 233 Kahlil Gibran quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) ## More Awe quotes > [Because I've never had any higher education of any sort, I've never held in awe those who have had it or have a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/because-i-ve-never-had-any-higher-education-of-any-sort-i-ve-never/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. 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He was afraid of Roosevelt's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/i-think-stalin-was-afraid-of-roosevelt-whenever-roosevelt-spoke-he/) [W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/) [Browse all 1,119 Awe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but only when we ourselves are bitter and dark. And we deem her empty and unprofitable, but only when the soul goes wandering in desolate places, and the heart is drunken with overmindfulness of self. Life is deep and high and distant; and though only your vast vision can reach even her feet, yet she is near; and though only the breath of your breath reaches her heart, the shadow of your shadow crosses her face, and the echo of your faintest cry becomes a spring and an autumn in her breast. And life is veiled and hidden, even as your greater self is hidden and veiled. Yet when Life speaks, all the winds become words; and when she speaks again, the smiles upon your lips and the tears in your eyes turn also into words. 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