--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Your heart opens and of course you're…" description: "\"Your heart opens and of course you're completely panicked because you're used to guarding this organ with your life.\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/leonard-cohen-448_courses_your-heart-opens-and-of-course-you-re-co_872341.jpg" --- # Your heart opens and of course you're completely panicked… ![“Your heart opens and of course you're completely panicked because you're used to guarding this organ with your life.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/leonard-cohen-448_courses_your-heart-opens-and-of-course-you-re-co_872341.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/leonard-cohen-448_courses_your-heart-opens-and-of-course-you-re-co_872341.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/leonard-cohen-448_courses_your-heart-opens-and-of-course-you-re-co_872341.jpg) > “Your heart opens and of course you're completely panicked because you're used to guarding this organ with your life.” [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The lyric describes fear of vulnerability when exposing one's heart after long self‑protection. **In simple terms:** Fearful of opening up after guarding yourself. Key Takeaway Allow safe openness. Themes vulnerability fear self‑protection Mood anxious hopeful Type emotional artistic When to use this quote - relationships - creative work - therapy sessions Key Concepts psychology emotional risk Questions to Reflect On - When have you guarded yourself? - What could openness bring? A Different Perspective Opening may lead to hurt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Organs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organs/) ## Related quotes > [Usually in the first performances I'm completely panicked. And I pull myself together. By the time you get to the end of the play,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/usually-in-the-first-performances-i-m-completely-panicked-and-i-pull/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [Man is an organ of life, and God alone is life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-swedenborg/man-is-an-organ-of-life-and-god-alone-is-life/) [Emanuel Swedenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-swedenborg/) > [I have a church background. I've been playing piano and keyboard and organ all my life in church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zaytoven/i-have-a-church-background-i-ve-been-playing-piano-and-keyboard-and/) [Zaytoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zaytoven/) > [“The door to your heart opens inwardly. Only you can open it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/the-door-to-your-heart-opens-inwardly-only-you-can-open-it/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“The ears and the heart are connected, it’s true, for when ears open wide, the heart opens up too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/the-ears-and-the-heart-are-connected-it-s-true-for-when-ears-open/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [When the heart opens, we forget ourselves and the world pours in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-housden/when-the-heart-opens-we-forget-ourselves-and-the-world-pours-in/) [Roger Housden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-housden/) > [When one heart opens to another heart, it usually results in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-jones-gunn/when-one-heart-opens-to-another-heart-it-usually-results-in-love/) [Robin Jones Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-jones-gunn/) > [The human heart, at whatever age, opens only to the heart that opens in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-human-heart-at-whatever-age-opens-only-to-the-heart-that-opens-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Music acts like a magic key, to which the most tightly closed heart opens ªª«ª«](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee/music-acts-like-a-magic-key-to-which-the-most-tightly-closed-heart-2/) [Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee/) > [“A woman whose heart never opens, is like a flower that never blooms”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oshetha-shakoor/a-woman-whose-heart-never-opens-is-like-a-flower-that-never-blooms/) Oshetha Shakoor > [You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/you-have-to-keep-breaking-your-heart-until-it-opens/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Music acts like a magic key, to which the most tightly closed heart opens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-von-trapp/music-acts-like-a-magic-key-to-which-the-most-tightly-closed-heart/) [Maria von Trapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-von-trapp/) > [The door to my heart opens inward. I move through forgiveness to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/the-door-to-my-heart-opens-inward-i-move-through-forgiveness-to-love/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [The human heart, at whatever age, opens to the heart that opens in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-human-heart-at-whatever-age-opens-to-the-heart-that-opens-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When you’re here, an i in the Ocean, you’re no longer waiting for something to happen or to change. When you’re here you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-pierre-weill/when-you-re-here-an-i-in-the-ocean-you-re-no-longer-waiting-for/) Jean-Pierre Weill ## More by Leonard Cohen > [The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-blizzard-of-the-world-has-crossed-the-threshold-and-it-s/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Don't matter if you're rich and strong Don't matter if you're weak Don't matter if you write a song The nightingales repeat Don't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-matter-if-you-re-rich-and-strong-don-t-matter-if-you-re-weak/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. I've seen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-don-t-know-me-from-the-wind-you-never-will-you-never-did-i-m-the/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can... reconcile and embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-world-is-full-of-conflicts-and-full-of-things-that-cannot-be/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [ I would say the hummingbird really deserves the royalties on \[some of my songs\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-would-say-the-hummingbird-really-deserves-the-royalties-on-some-of/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [One is given to self-dramatization from time to time. I intend to live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/one-is-given-to-self-dramatization-from-time-to-time-i-intend-to-live/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [The basic function of popular music is to create an environment for courting, lovemaking, and doing the dishes. It's useful because it addresses the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-basic-function-of-popular-music-is-to-create-an-environment-for/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/blessed-are-you-embrace-of-the-falling-foundation-of-the-light-master/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I continually blacken pages and scribble away, so I always have a number of songs that are half-finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-continually-blacken-pages-and-scribble-away-so-i-always-have-a/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I have nothing against the Queen of England. Even in my heart I never resented her for not being Jackie Kennedy. She is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-have-nothing-against-the-queen-of-england-even-in-my-heart-i-never/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I loved you when you opened like a lily to the heat; you see I’m just another snowman standing in the rain and sleet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-loved-you-when-you-opened-like-a-lily-to-the-heat-you-see-i-m-just/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [It's time that we began to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-s-time-that-we-began-to-laugh-and-cry-and-cry-and-laugh-about-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“I followed the course From chaos to art Desire the horse Depression the cart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-followed-the-course-from-chaos-to-art-desire-the-horse-depression/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Explore all 543 Leonard Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## More Courses quotes > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our critical day is not the very day of our death; but the whole course of our life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/our-critical-day-is-not-the-very-day-of-our-death-but-the-whole/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [ Bernie \[Ecclestone\] is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. I also do think about our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/bernie-ecclestone-is-the-commercial-rights-holder-so-the-more/) [Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/) > [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [We are always saying: Let the Law take its Course but what we really mean is: Let the Law take OUR Course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-are-always-saying-let-the-law-take-its-course-but-what-we-really/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Men generally decide upon a middle course, which is most hazardous, for they know neither how to be entirely good nor entirely bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/men-generally-decide-upon-a-middle-course-which-is-most-hazardous-for/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [I earn my living by teaching film, mostly filmmaking but also teaching courses on current cinema. I'm interested in movies. I hope that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-andersen/i-earn-my-living-by-teaching-film-mostly-filmmaking-but-also-teaching/) [Thom Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-andersen/) > [The wisdom of our actions in the first three years of peace will determine the course of world history for half a century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-wallace/the-wisdom-of-our-actions-in-the-first-three-years-of-peace-will/) [Henry A. Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-wallace/) > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [ Leave a cavity behind the \[wall\] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-and-on-the-inside-build-walls/) [Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/) > [Of course it does on opening night, but I've never had that devastating stage fright that some people get, but apparently, you can develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/of-course-it-does-on-opening-night-but-i-ve-never-had-that/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [I studied philosophy and ended on sociology. For some reason, all the advanced courses in philosophy were offered 4:30 to 6:30, so I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-jackson/i-studied-philosophy-and-ended-on-sociology-for-some-reason-all-the/) [Lawrence Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-jackson/) > [There is no one who can change My course or affect My conduct to the slightest extent. I am the Master over all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/there-is-no-one-who-can-change-my-course-or-affect-my-conduct-to-the/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [In the course of our eternal existence, we spend infinitely more time in the spirit world on the other side than we spend in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-browne/in-the-course-of-our-eternal-existence-we-spend-infinitely-more-time/) [Sylvia Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-browne/) Browse all 6,995 Courses quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Your heart opens and of course you're completely panicked because you're used to guarding this organ with your life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonard Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/your-heart-opens-and-of-course-you-re-completely-panicked-because-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Courses" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/your-heart-opens-and-of-course-you-re-completely-panicked-because-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/leonard-cohen-448_courses_your-heart-opens-and-of-course-you-re-co_872341.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/leonard-cohen-448_courses_your-heart-opens-and-of-course-you-re-co_872341.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/leonard-cohen-448_courses_your-heart-opens-and-of-course-you-re-co_872341.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Your heart opens and of course you're completely panicked because you're used to guarding this organ with…” — Leonard Cohen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Leonard Cohen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Your heart opens and of course...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/your-heart-opens-and-of-course-you-re-completely-panicked-because-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/your-heart-opens-and-of-course-you-re-completely-panicked-because-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```