--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is the part of us that makes our…" description: "\"This is the part of us that makes our brief, improbable little lives worth living: the ability to reach through our own isolation and find strength, an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/martha-beck-961_ability_this-is-the-part-of-us-that-makes-our-br_1994753.jpg" --- # This is the part of us that makes our brief, improbable… ![“This is the part of us that makes our brief, improbable little lives worth living: the ability to reach through our own isolation and find strength, and comfort, and warmth for and in each other. This is what human beings do. This is what we live for, the way horses live to run.” quote by Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/martha-beck-961_ability_this-is-the-part-of-us-that-makes-our-br_1994753.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/martha-beck-961_ability_this-is-the-part-of-us-that-makes-our-br_1994753.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/martha-beck-961_ability_this-is-the-part-of-us-that-makes-our-br_1994753.jpg) > “This is the part of us that makes our brief, improbable little lives worth living: the ability to reach through our own isolation and find strength, and comfort, and warmth for and in each other. This is what human beings do. This is what we live for, the way horses live to run.” [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human connection gives meaning to fleeting lives, offering strength, comfort, and warmth through shared experience. **In simple terms:** We need others for purpose and comfort. Key Takeaway Seek and nurture deep relationships. Themes connection purpose humanity Mood hopeful reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - friendship - community building - support groups - teamwork Key Concepts existentialism social bonding Questions to Reflect On - How do you actively reach out to others? - What barriers prevent you from sharing warmth? A Different Perspective Isolation can still dominate despite connections. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfort/) [Finding strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-strength/) [Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horse/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Improbable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improbable/) [Isolation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolation/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life worth living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-worth-living/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Strength and comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength-and-comfort/) [Warmth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warmth/) [Worth living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth-living/) ## Related quotes > [“This is it, I thought. This is the part of us that makes our brief, improbable little lives worth living: the ability to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/this-is-it-i-thought-this-is-the-part-of-us-that-makes-our-brief/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [“There comes a point when you begin to connect to the dots, when the chosen paths begin to mean something, when the picture starts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-bushman/there-comes-a-point-when-you-begin-to-connect-to-the-dots-when-the/) Angela Bushman > [“There were no wracking sobs today, not like that day at the depot when he'd finally set free so many years of furrowed hurt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-tagg/there-were-no-wracking-sobs-today-not-like-that-day-at-the-depot-when/) [Melissa Tagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-tagg/) > [Your angels are giving you strength and comfort right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/your-angels-are-giving-you-strength-and-comfort-right-now/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [He holds you in his arms, to give you strength and comfort when sometimes nights are long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-holds-you-in-his-arms-to-give-you-strength-and-comfort-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am a big believer that you have to nourish any relationship. I am still very much a part of my friends' lives and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/i-am-a-big-believer-that-you-have-to-nourish-any-relationship-i-am/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [That's the point of it, to have those connections, as painful as they are, as much worry as they might cause; they give back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-galloway/that-s-the-point-of-it-to-have-those-connections-as-painful-as-they/) [Gregory Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-galloway/) > [“You feel even more naked and alone, he said silently, when you reveal yourself, a gratuitous act, for the strength and comfort you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/you-feel-even-more-naked-and-alone-he-said-silently-when-you-reveal/) [Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/) > [The ability we have to handle this adversity will determine the degree of success that we will have in life. To me, this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavell-edwards/the-ability-we-have-to-handle-this-adversity-will-determine-the/) [LaVell Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavell-edwards/) > [“Remember those reserves I mentioned? Time to call them up. I pick up the phone and dial. A soothing greets me after the second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chase/remember-those-reserves-i-mentioned-time-to-call-them-up-i-pick-up/) [Emma Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chase/) > [Be your own source of strength and comfort. Believe that you are in love, happy, and fulfilled because you started by feeling that way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-lin/be-your-own-source-of-strength-and-comfort-believe-that-you-are-in/) Carol Lin > [The part of you that is unhampered by illusion-the illusion of time, the illusion of powerlessness, the illusion of impossibility-i s waiting for you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/the-part-of-you-that-is-unhampered-by-illusion-the-illusion-of-time/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [...one interior life in which all beings live with God, themselves are God, existing in the mighty whole, indistinguishable as the cloudless east is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/one-interior-life-in-which-all-beings-live-with-god-themselves-are/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [Human beings cannot live without stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-douglas/human-beings-cannot-live-without-stories/) [Ann Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-douglas/) > [“Gardens by their very nature are fragile beings that live in the two dimensions of time and care.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-eck/gardens-by-their-very-nature-are-fragile-beings-that-live-in-the-two/) Joe Eck ## More by Martha Beck > [Imagine what you'd do if it absolutely didn't matter what people thought of you. Got it? Good. Never go back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/imagine-what-you-d-do-if-it-absolutely-didn-t-matter-what-people/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [In one century, we've added 28 years to our average life span - a change so rapid that our brains couldn't possibly have evolved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/in-one-century-we-ve-added-28-years-to-our-average-life-span-a-change/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [If I tell a man he needs to quit his soul-sucking job, he has to go home and fight with his wife or fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/if-i-tell-a-man-he-needs-to-quit-his-soul-sucking-job-he-has-to-go/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [I was learning to track rhinoceroses in Africa and tracked right up on an animal that really I thought was going to kill me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/i-was-learning-to-track-rhinoceroses-in-africa-and-tracked-right-up/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [There has never been, and never will be, anyone who sees, thinks, or responds exactly the way you do. Whether you’re revolutionizing physics or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/there-has-never-been-and-never-will-be-anyone-who-sees-thinks-or/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Loneliness is proof that your innate search for connection is intact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/loneliness-is-proof-that-your-innate-search-for-connection-is-intact/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Most of my clients don't realize that the way they look and the way they think about their looks are two separate issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/most-of-my-clients-don-t-realize-that-the-way-they-look-and-the-way/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [The power to bring me out of solitude - or to push me back into it - had never belonged to another person. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/the-power-to-bring-me-out-of-solitude-or-to-push-me-back-into-it-had/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Learning to quit while you're not ahead, when the dull ooze of depression tells you things are not going to get any better, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/learning-to-quit-while-you-re-not-ahead-when-the-dull-ooze-of/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [The important thing is to tell yourself a life story in which you, the hero, are primarily a problem solver rather than a helpless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/the-important-thing-is-to-tell-yourself-a-life-story-in-which-you-the/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [A joyful life isn’t about others; it’s about the brightness that is associated with being alive. Your path to it is through anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/a-joyful-life-isn-t-about-others-it-s-about-the-brightness-that-is/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Fear is the raw material from which courage is manufactured. Without it, we wouldn't even know what it means to be brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/fear-is-the-raw-material-from-which-courage-is-manufactured-without/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Many people think passion is a fuzzy feeling that makes taking action effortless. In fact, it's the gritty courage and tenacity to forge onward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/many-people-think-passion-is-a-fuzzy-feeling-that-makes-taking-action/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Angels come in many shapes and sizes, and most of them are not invisible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/angels-come-in-many-shapes-and-sizes-and-most-of-them-are-not/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Truth itself is something you live, not something you think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/truth-itself-is-something-you-live-not-something-you-think/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) [Explore all 318 Martha Beck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is the part of us that makes our brief, improbable little lives worth living: the ability to reach through our own isolation and find strength, and comfort, and warmth for and in each other. 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