---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Surely she had never traveled a greater…"
description: "\"“Surely she had never traveled a greater emotional distance”\" — Margot Lee Shetterly"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_emotional_surely-she-had-never-traveled-a-greater_819604.jpg"
---

#  Surely she had never traveled a greater emotional distance

![“Surely she had never traveled a greater emotional distance” quote by Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_emotional_surely-she-had-never-traveled-a-greater_819604.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_emotional_surely-she-had-never-traveled-a-greater_819604.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_emotional_surely-she-had-never-traveled-a-greater_819604.jpg)

> ““Surely she had never traveled a greater emotional distance””

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

## About This Quote

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

A character’s emotional journey can be vast, surpassing physical travel, highlighting inner growth.

**In simple terms:** Emotional distance can exceed physical travel.

Key Takeaway

Recognize inner journeys.

Themes

empathy growth distance

Mood

thoughtful melancholic

Type

literary reflective

When to use this quote

- novel reading
- film analysis
- personal reflection
- therapy

Key Concepts

psychological distance character development

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you measure emotional distance?
- What inner journeys have you experienced?

A Different Perspective

Emotional distance may be misinterpreted as detachment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/)

## Related quotes

> [The greater the emotional intensity, the greater the simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hovhaness/the-greater-the-emotional-intensity-the-greater-the-simplicity/)

[Alan Hovhaness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hovhaness/)

> [“All the elements of greater emotional awareness can weave together to ensure you make a more positive impact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/all-the-elements-of-greater-emotional-awareness-can-weave-together-to/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

> [“Dabrowshi argued that fear and anxiety and sadness are nor necessarily always undesirable or unhelpful states of mind; rather, they are often representative m=of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazimierz-d-browski/dabrowshi-argued-that-fear-and-anxiety-and-sadness-are-nor/)

Kazimierz Dąbrowski

> [When you have kids, you just can't believe your heart could love something so much. My kids inspire me every day and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-noonan/when-you-have-kids-you-just-can-t-believe-your-heart-could-love/)

Katie Noonan

> [“Those very habits promoting emotional distance keep us from experiencing the love we so desperately long for and the love we are meant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-m-straza/those-very-habits-promoting-emotional-distance-keep-us-from/)

[Erin M. Straza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-m-straza/)

> [“All these openings for closeness--all these humans with their disappointments and their desperate hearts, but it's so much easier, so convenient, to blame emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-maum/all-these-openings-for-closeness-all-these-humans-with-their/)

[Courtney Maum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-maum/)

> [The need here is professional closeness tempered by emotional distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-audi/the-need-here-is-professional-closeness-tempered-by-emotional-distance/)

Robert Audi

> [Our society is so fragmented, our family lives so sundered by physical and emotional distance, our friendships so sporadic, our intimacies so 'in-between' things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-society-is-so-fragmented-our-family-lives-so-sundered-by-physical/)

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

> [“Clear perception requires emotional distance. It's hard to be wise while you're still squirming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-lee-wright/clear-perception-requires-emotional-distance-it-s-hard-to-be-wise/)

Garry Lee Wright

> [“Answers, caloric sustenance, emotional distance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tish-cohen/answers-caloric-sustenance-emotional-distance/)

Tish Cohen

> [“The distance between my home and here is a fraction of the emotional distance between here and inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentine-glass/the-distance-between-my-home-and-here-is-a-fraction-of-the-emotional/)

[Valentine Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentine-glass/)

> [This tendency to avoid problems and the emotional suffering inherent in them is the primary basis of all human mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/this-tendency-to-avoid-problems-and-the-emotional-suffering-inherent/)

[Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/)

> [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/)

[Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/)

> [“The fact is, we in this society are often quite removed from our own emotional reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/the-fact-is-we-in-this-society-are-often-quite-removed-from-our-own/)

[Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/)

> [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/)

## More by Margot Lee Shetterly

> [“...internalized the Negro theorem of needing to be twice as good to get half as far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/internalized-the-negro-theorem-of-needing-to-be-twice-as-good-to-get/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [“black people frequently disqualified themselves even without the WHITES ONLY sign in view”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/black-people-frequently-disqualified-themselves-even-without-the/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [“At the beginning of a decade when everything was beginning to seem possible, nothing seemed impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/at-the-beginning-of-a-decade-when-everything-was-beginning-to-seem/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [Every time you go to an airport and get on a plane, you are basically taking advantage of the work that was done at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/every-time-you-go-to-an-airport-and-get-on-a-plane-you-are-basically/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [“It was the engineer who determined what problems to investigate, designed the experiments, and defined the assignments for the mathematicians.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/it-was-the-engineer-who-determined-what-problems-to-investigate/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [“Like craftsmen in a medieval guild, NASA engineers hoped that one day their children would decide to take up the mantle of the profession…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/like-craftsmen-in-a-medieval-guild-nasa-engineers-hoped-that-one-day/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [For too long, history has imposed a binary condition on its black citizens: either nameless or renowned, menial or exceptional, passive recipients of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/for-too-long-history-has-imposed-a-binary-condition-on-its-black/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [“a lifetime of stories”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/a-lifetime-of-stories/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [“Insatiably curious about the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/insatiably-curious-about-the-world/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [The success of 'Hidden Figures' proves that people are interested in, hungry for, stories about transcendent human experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/the-success-of-hidden-figures-proves-that-people-are-interested-in/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [“Early in her career at Langley, Dorthy Lee was interviewed for the Daily Press, in all probability by Virginia Biggins, the female reporter assigned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/early-in-her-career-at-langley-dorthy-lee-was-interviewed-for-the/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [“Get the girl to check the numbers,' said the astronaut. If she says the numbers are good, he told them, I'm ready to go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/get-the-girl-to-check-the-numbers-said-the-astronaut-if-she-says-the/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [My dad worked with Mary Jackson very closely at one point. I knew Katherine Johnson as well. They were all part of this group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/my-dad-worked-with-mary-jackson-very-closely-at-one-point-i-knew/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [“War, technology, and social progress; it seemed that the second two always came with the first. The NACA’s work—more intense and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/war-technology-and-social-progress-it-seemed-that-the-second-two/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

> [“The black female mathematicians who walked into Langley in 1943 would find themselves at the intersection of these great transformations, their sharp minds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/the-black-female-mathematicians-who-walked-into-langley-in-1943-would/)

[Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

[Explore all 79 Margot Lee Shetterly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/)

## More Emotional 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/)

> [“The fact is, we in this society are often quite removed from our own emotional reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/the-fact-is-we-in-this-society-are-often-quite-removed-from-our-own/)

[Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/)

> [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/)

[Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/)

> [This tendency to avoid problems and the emotional suffering inherent in them is the primary basis of all human mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/this-tendency-to-avoid-problems-and-the-emotional-suffering-inherent/)

[Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/)

> [I am emotional, but that's not a negative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franck-ribery/i-am-emotional-but-that-s-not-a-negative/)

[Franck Ribery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franck-ribery/)

> [I don't get emotional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-robertson/i-don-t-get-emotional/)

[Andrew Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-robertson/)

> [Nothing is more private than a woman's body; it is her physical, emotional, and moral citadel. She cannot be free at all if she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-b-smedes/nothing-is-more-private-than-a-woman-s-body-it-is-her-physical/)

[Lewis B. Smedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-b-smedes/)

> [I'm an emotional eater. If something's worth celebrating, we're going to grab pizza. If it's going bad, girl, pass me the chocolate. Gotta keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurieann-gibson/i-m-an-emotional-eater-if-something-s-worth-celebrating-we-re-going/)

[Laurieann Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurieann-gibson/)

> [To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require a stratospheric IQ, unusual business insights, or inside information. What's needed is a sound intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/to-invest-successfully-over-a-lifetime-does-not-require-a/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [Male relationships are deeply emotional and hard to talk about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-lord/male-relationships-are-deeply-emotional-and-hard-to-talk-about/)

[Phil Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-lord/)

> [I'm simply saying that our deepest thoughts, desires and preoccupations manifest themselves in art, whether we intend them to or not. That's what art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/i-m-simply-saying-that-our-deepest-thoughts-desires-and/)

[Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/)

> [First of all the criteria that I have that goes into any career decision is whether or not I have the life experience, emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/first-of-all-the-criteria-that-i-have-that-goes-into-any-career/)

[Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/)

> [“I like to see an angry Englishman," said Poirot. "They are very amusing. The more emotional they feel the less command they have of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-like-to-see-an-angry-englishman-said-poirot-they-are-very-amusing/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> ['Heirs' became an emotional experience for me. I had a hard time bringing out my emotions in the series. I used all my physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-min-ho/heirs-became-an-emotional-experience-for-me-i-had-a-hard-time/)

[Lee Min-ho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-min-ho/)

> [“Forgiveness is the process of dropping off your emotional baggage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-fargo/forgiveness-is-the-process-of-dropping-off-your-emotional-baggage/)

[Tim Fargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-fargo/)

[Browse all 5,224 Emotional quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Surely she had never traveled a greater emotional distance”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Margot Lee Shetterly"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/surely-she-had-never-traveled-a-greater-emotional-distance/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Emotional"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/surely-she-had-never-traveled-a-greater-emotional-distance/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_emotional_surely-she-had-never-traveled-a-greater_819604.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_emotional_surely-she-had-never-traveled-a-greater_819604.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_emotional_surely-she-had-never-traveled-a-greater_819604.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Surely she had never traveled a greater emotional distance” — Margot Lee Shetterly",
                "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": "Margot Lee Shetterly",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Surely she had never traveled a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/surely-she-had-never-traveled-a-greater-emotional-distance/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/surely-she-had-never-traveled-a-greater-emotional-distance/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
