---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But how ridiculous that I should bereft…"
description: "\"But how ridiculous that I should bereft simply because I couldn’t spend hours in my world of make-believe! Wasn’t the reality of my life interesting en..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/liza-dalby-36406_believe_but-how-ridiculous-that-i-should-bereft_533371.png"
---

#  But how ridiculous that I should bereft simply because I…

![“But how ridiculous that I should bereft simply because I couldn’t spend hours in my world of make-believe! Wasn’t the reality of my life interesting enough? This is surely the time to let go of grievances, I told myself sternly. What good does it do to dwell on them? Brooding on a nest of grudges…” quote by Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/liza-dalby-36406_believe_but-how-ridiculous-that-i-should-bereft_533371.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/liza-dalby-36406_believe_but-how-ridiculous-that-i-should-bereft_533371.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/liza-dalby-36406_believe_but-how-ridiculous-that-i-should-bereft_533371.png)

> “But how ridiculous that I should bereft simply because I couldn’t spend hours in my world of make-believe! Wasn’t the reality of my life interesting enough? This is surely the time to let go of grievances, I told myself sternly. What good does it do to dwell on them? Brooding on a nest of grudges will only hatch more grief.”

[Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Holding onto grievances fuels more sorrow; letting go frees emotional energy for growth.

**In simple terms:** Grudges breed more grief; release them.

Key Takeaway

Release resentment to heal.

Themes

emotional health self‑care forgiveness

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal reflection
- conflict resolution
- mental health
- self‑improvement

Key Concepts

psychology mindfulness

Questions to Reflect On

- What grievance are you clinging to?
- How might forgiveness change your outlook?

A Different Perspective

Letting go can be painful and may feel like denying valid feelings.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Brooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brooding/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Grievance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grievance/) [Grudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grudge/) [Grudges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grudges/) [Letting go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-go/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Make believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-believe/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Time to let go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-to-let-go/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [We are not perfect. The people around us are not perfect. People do things that annoy, disappoint, and anger. In this mortal life it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-are-not-perfect-the-people-around-us-are-not-perfect-people-do/)

[Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/)

> [It’s time to let go, be guided and expect miracles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/it-s-time-to-let-go-be-guided-and-expect-miracles/)

[Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/)

> [I think being really open to this new world of online and what it means to be online. Also, understanding that maybe it's time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-stapleton/i-think-being-really-open-to-this-new-world-of-online-and-what-it/)

[Alex Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-stapleton/)

> [In life and love, you learn that there comes a time to let go and move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/in-life-and-love-you-learn-that-there-comes-a-time-to-let-go-and-move/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

> [Note to conservatives: sometimes you just have to give up. Do you really care that much about killing lots of bad guys as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/note-to-conservatives-sometimes-you-just-have-to-give-up-do-you/)

[Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/)

> [If it's time to let go, JUST LET GO. You can't carry on through life with extra weight on your conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-leto/if-it-s-time-to-let-go-just-let-go-you-can-t-carry-on-through-life/)

[Shannon Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-leto/)

> [It is never too late to be who you want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/it-is-never-too-late-to-be-who-you-want-to-be/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [Sometimes our thoughts and feelings are our most prized possessions... and then there are times to let go of your possessions and wander.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-williams/sometimes-our-thoughts-and-feelings-are-our-most-prized-possessions/)

[Saul Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-williams/)

> [The hardest part is what to leave behind, ... It's time to let go!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hardest-part-is-what-to-leave-behind-it-s-time-to-let-go/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go... And a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-naylor/sometimes-being-a-friend-means-mastering-the-art-of-timing-there-is-a-2/)

[Gloria Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-naylor/)

> [Tucker was my safe place for three years, my secure dock in a sea of indecision as I dealt with my father's illness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-brown/tucker-was-my-safe-place-for-three-years-my-secure-dock-in-a-sea-of/)

[Melissa Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-brown/)

> [“What would I have wanted to say if I had had the opportunity to see him one more time? I would like to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/what-would-i-have-wanted-to-say-if-i-had-had-the-opportunity-to-see/)

[Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/)

> [Midlife is the time to let go of an overdominant ego and to contemplate the deeper significance of human existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/midlife-is-the-time-to-let-go-of-an-overdominant-ego-and-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Rest you well, beloved Jesus, Caesar’s Lord and Israel’s King, In the brooding of the Spirit, in the darkness of the spring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/rest-you-well-beloved-jesus-caesar-s-lord-and-israel-s-king-in-the/)

[N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/)

> [Do not look down, brooding over your weakness! Do not look back upon your past, strewn with failure! Look up to the living Christ!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-b-meyer/do-not-look-down-brooding-over-your-weakness-do-not-look-back-upon/)

[F.B. Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-b-meyer/)

## More by Liza Dalby

> [“What was the point, I told myself, of trying to explain to people who would never understand? Frankness just stirred up trouble amoung women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/what-was-the-point-i-told-myself-of-trying-to-explain-to-people-who/)

[Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

> [“I could always tell when I was ready to write again, for I became irritable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/i-could-always-tell-when-i-was-ready-to-write-again-for-i-became/)

[Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

> [“Fate is unmoved by one's pitiful hopes; what changes, bowing to fate, is what one hopes for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/fate-is-unmoved-by-one-s-pitiful-hopes-what-changes-bowing-to-fate-is/)

[Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

> [“The moon is more interesting than the unchanging sun. That is surely why it is used in poetry and the sun is not—unless one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/the-moon-is-more-interesting-than-the-unchanging-sun-that-is-surely/)

[Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

> [“Why couldn’t I simply accept things as they were and be grateful? I wondered. How I envied people whose desires were simple and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/why-couldn-t-i-simply-accept-things-as-they-were-and-be-grateful-i/)

[Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

> [“I realized that when we finally reached Miyako, I would be stepping into a new life and would have to stop thinking about Ming-gwok.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/i-realized-that-when-we-finally-reached-miyako-i-would-be-stepping/)

[Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

> [“In white, everything was vividly stark, like those line drawings in which everyone's black hair seems to literally to grow from the paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/in-white-everything-was-vividly-stark-like-those-line-drawings-in/)

[Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

> [“This journey was the last time I could freely caress my memories. I imagined a small lacquered box inlaid with silver and gold in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/this-journey-was-the-last-time-i-could-freely-caress-my-memories-i/)

[Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

> [It seemed to me that people do a rather good job of creating levels of hell all by themselves, and this was something worth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/it-seemed-to-me-that-people-do-a-rather-good-job-of-creating-levels/)

[Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

> [“I cannot pretend that I understood my mother at the end of her life. I was trying to follow the goals she had set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/i-cannot-pretend-that-i-understood-my-mother-at-the-end-of-her-life-i/)

[Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

> [“I was convinced the answer to life's enigmas must lie in connecting our emotional yearnings to nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/i-was-convinced-the-answer-to-life-s-enigmas-must-lie-in-connecting/)

[Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

[Explore all 12 Liza Dalby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/)

## More Believe quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/)

[Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/)

[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/)

[Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/)

> [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "But how ridiculous that I should bereft simply because I couldn’t spend hours in my world of make-believe! Wasn’t the reality of my life interesting enough? This is surely the time to let go of grievances, I told myself sternly. What good does it do to dwell on them? Brooding on a nest of grudges will only hatch more grief.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Liza Dalby"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/but-how-ridiculous-that-i-should-bereft-simply-because-i-couldn-t/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Believe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/but-how-ridiculous-that-i-should-bereft-simply-because-i-couldn-t/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/liza-dalby-36406_believe_but-how-ridiculous-that-i-should-bereft_533371.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/liza-dalby-36406_believe_but-how-ridiculous-that-i-should-bereft_533371.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/liza-dalby-36406_believe_but-how-ridiculous-that-i-should-bereft_533371.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“But how ridiculous that I should bereft simply because I couldn’t spend hours in my world of make-believe!…” — Liza Dalby",
                "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": "Liza Dalby",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "But how ridiculous that I should...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/but-how-ridiculous-that-i-should-bereft-simply-because-i-couldn-t/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/but-how-ridiculous-that-i-should-bereft-simply-because-i-couldn-t/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
