Agony Quote by Mariella Frostrup
“Placing 'amicable' and 'separation' together creates an oxymoron - we don't usually decide to end a partnership until the very sight of our soon-to-be ex fills us with disgust, misery, agony or a combination of all three.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Guardian, 2010
Ending a partnership often feels contradictory, mixing amicability with painful separation.
In simple terms: Breakups feel both friendly and painful.
Key Takeaway
Accept mixed emotions during endings.
Themes
relationships
conflict
emotion
Mood
empathetic
melancholic
Type
psychological
reflective
When to use this quote
- divorce
- friendship breakup
- business partnership end
Key Concepts
oxymoron
cognitive dissonance
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we label painful ends as amicable?
- How can we express honesty without hostility?
A Different Perspective
People may suppress true feelings to appear civil.
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
