--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And of course Brian was far more upset…" description: "\"“And of course Brian was far more upset about separation from those two blond moppets than about leaving Louise. There shouldn't be any problem loving ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/lionel-shriver-744_management_and-of-course-brian-was-far-more-upset-a_1820993.jpg" --- # And of course Brian was far more upset about separation… ![“And of course Brian was far more upset about separation from those two blond moppets than about leaving Louise. There shouldn't be any problem loving both, but for some reason certain men choose; like good mutual-fund managers minimizing risk while maximizing portfolio yield, they take everything…” quote by Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/lionel-shriver-744_management_and-of-course-brian-was-far-more-upset-a_1820993.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/lionel-shriver-744_management_and-of-course-brian-was-far-more-upset-a_1820993.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/lionel-shriver-744_management_and-of-course-brian-was-far-more-upset-a_1820993.jpg) > ““And of course Brian was far more upset about separation from those two blond moppets than about leaving Louise. There shouldn't be any problem loving both, but for some reason certain men choose; like good mutual-fund managers minimizing risk while maximizing portfolio yield, they take everything they once invested in their wives and sink it into their children instead. What is it? Do they seem safer, because they need you? Because you can never become their ex-father, as I think I might become your ex-wife?”” [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He critiques men who invest emotionally in children over spouses, questioning safety and identity. **In simple terms:** Men may prioritize children over wives, raising identity concerns. Key Takeaway Reflect on balanced emotional investment. Themes family roles gender expectations emotional investment Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - marriage counseling - parenting decisions - life planning Key Concepts marriage parenthood identity formation Questions to Reflect On - What motivates shifting emotional focus? - How can couples maintain mutual support while parenting? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on one relationship can cause neglect elsewhere. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ex wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ex-wife/) [Invested Wives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invested-wives-2193344/) [Leaving Louise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving-louise-2193342/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Separation Blond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separation-blond-2193346/) [Think Ex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-ex-855138/) ## Related quotes > [Someone once told me that there is more to life than golf. I think it was my ex-wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lansky/someone-once-told-me-that-there-is-more-to-life-than-golf-i-think-it/) [Bruce Lansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lansky/) > [I'm not really much of a fan of Drake. I don't know why; I'm not really keen on it. 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It doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-keep-waiting-for-the-heaviness-to-leave-you-you-keep-waiting-for/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Some people think I should be over my ex by now — maybe I thought I might have been over him more by now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-olds/some-people-think-i-should-be-over-my-ex-by-now-maybe-i-thought-i/) [Sharon Olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-olds/) > [“What keeps me going when I think of ex-friends is that we’re all really going through several lifetimes, often at the same time, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-nester/what-keeps-me-going-when-i-think-of-ex-friends-is-that-we-re-all/) [Daniel Nester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-nester/) > [Listening to country music alone in your car is a guaranteed way to make sure you think about every ex you've ever had. Ever...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/listening-to-country-music-alone-in-your-car-is-a-guaranteed-way-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There was a man named Robert Dear who in court said he was a warrior for the babies, whose ex-wife talked about his Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/there-was-a-man-named-robert-dear-who-in-court-said-he-was-a-warrior/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) ## More by Lionel Shriver > [The discovery that heartbreak is indeed heartbreaking consoles us about our humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/the-discovery-that-heartbreak-is-indeed-heartbreaking-consoles-us/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [“I’m a journalist, and journalists need news. Deprive them of it, and they go a bit barking. Deprive them of news long enough, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/i-m-a-journalist-and-journalists-need-news-deprive-them-of-it-and/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [“One of the things I learned with Charles," said Gray carefully, "was that finding someone like you does not necessarily mean that either of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/one-of-the-things-i-learned-with-charles-said-gray-carefully-was-that/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [In the particular dwells the tawdry. In the conceptual dwells the grand, the transcendent, the everlasting. Earthly countries and single malignant boys can go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/in-the-particular-dwells-the-tawdry-in-the-conceptual-dwells-the/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [“The idea is that you don't only have one destiny. 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Permission to be dull. I know Henry will sometimes say something so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/i-think-that-s-the-biggest-favor-you-can-grant-anyone-don-t-you/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [“They were determined to find something mechanically wrong with him - because broken machines are easier to fix. p303”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/they-were-determined-to-find-something-mechanically-wrong-with-him/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [“Bur Armenians have a talent for sorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/bur-armenians-have-a-talent-for-sorrow/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [“What is cool changes; that there is such a thing as cool is immutable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/what-is-cool-changes-that-there-is-such-a-thing-as-cool-is-immutable/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [“I have theorized that you can locate most people on a spectrum of the crudest sort and that it may be their position on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/i-have-theorized-that-you-can-locate-most-people-on-a-spectrum-of-the/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) [Explore all 375 Lionel Shriver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) ## More Ex wife quotes > [There was a man named Robert Dear who in court said he was a warrior for the babies, whose ex-wife talked about his Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/there-was-a-man-named-robert-dear-who-in-court-said-he-was-a-warrior/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) > [“This is a kinetic-kill, side-winder vehicle…It’s completely elegant, bafflingly beautiful, and it’s capable of reducing the population of any standing structure to zero. 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Yes, I've had tough times in my life, especially the last year, regarding my ex-wife, my kids, I nearly broke my neck,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gascoigne/the-drink-yes-i-ve-had-tough-times-in-my-life-especially-the-last/) [Paul Gascoigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gascoigne/) > [My father's very public life as Famous Amos was the opposite of that of his ex-wife, my mother Shirley, who was fighting a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-amos/my-father-s-very-public-life-as-famous-amos-was-the-opposite-of-that/) [Shawn Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-amos/) > [“His ex-wife dumped him and the kids." Sophia's gaze lifted from the wine she held, met his. "Dumped?" 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They gave me so much; I gave them so much;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/for-me-my-films-are-not-like-my-children-they-are-like-my-ex-wife/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) [Browse all 95 Ex wife quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ex-wife/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And of course Brian was far more upset about separation from those two blond moppets than about leaving Louise. There shouldn't be any problem loving both, but for some reason certain men choose; like good mutual-fund managers minimizing risk while maximizing portfolio yield, they take everything they once invested in their wives and sink it into their children instead. What is it? Do they seem safer, because they need you? 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