--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The city was a paradox, though maybe it…" description: "\"“The city was a paradox, though maybe it had always been one. You could have an excellent life here, even as everything disintegrated.”\" — Meg Wolitzer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/meg-wolitzer-2224_excellent-life_the-city-was-a-paradox-though-maybe-it-h_1394366.jpg" --- # The city was a paradox, though maybe it had always been… ![“The city was a paradox, though maybe it had always been one. You could have an excellent life here, even as everything disintegrated.” quote by Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/meg-wolitzer-2224_excellent-life_the-city-was-a-paradox-though-maybe-it-h_1394366.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/meg-wolitzer-2224_excellent-life_the-city-was-a-paradox-though-maybe-it-h_1394366.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/meg-wolitzer-2224_excellent-life_the-city-was-a-paradox-though-maybe-it-h_1394366.jpg) > ““The city was a paradox, though maybe it had always been one. You could have an excellent life here, even as everything disintegrated.”” [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cities can offer both opportunity and decay, reflecting paradoxical urban life. **In simple terms:** Urban paradox of growth and ruin. Key Takeaway Seek balance amid change. Themes urban life paradox decay Mood reflective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career building - city living - creative work - personal growth Key Concepts sociology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How does a city shape your identity? - What comforts you when surroundings crumble? A Different Perspective May romanticize struggle over stability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Excellent life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellent-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Paradox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradox/) ## Related quotes > [“The city was a paradox, though maybe it had always been one. You could have an excellent life here, even as everything disintegrated. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/the-city-was-a-paradox-though-maybe-it-had-always-been-one-you-could-2/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [“Who would have imagine that the sound your life made as it disintegrated was total silence?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/who-would-have-imagine-that-the-sound-your-life-made-as-it/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [New Orleans is a city of paradox. Sin, salvation, sex, sanctification, so intertwined yet so separate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-connick-jr/new-orleans-is-a-city-of-paradox-sin-salvation-sex-sanctification-so/) [Harry Connick, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-connick-jr/) > [“Once I had thought I was whole -- had seemed to be able to love a man, to bear a child, to heal the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/once-i-had-thought-i-was-whole-had-seemed-to-be-able-to-love-a-man-to/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [He wound the scarf around his fingers until her hand was hanging in the space between them. Then he slid the silk and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/he-wound-the-scarf-around-his-fingers-until-her-hand-was-hanging-in/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [Very little changed fundamentally, except that the proud German soldier had turned into a defeated bundle of misery and the great German army had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-grosz/very-little-changed-fundamentally-except-that-the-proud-german/) [George Grosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-grosz/) > [There's no better way to become a disintegrated character than to be your own authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/there-s-no-better-way-to-become-a-disintegrated-character-than-to-be/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“But almost everyone I have spoken to has said that being the object of a Control Connection leaves them feeling disintegrated, as if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-evans/but-almost-everyone-i-have-spoken-to-has-said-that-being-the-object/) [Patricia Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-evans/) > [“I’ve memorized the best angles in the bathroom mirror from which to see how badly I’ve disintegrated. I truly do go from sixty to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kidd/i-ve-memorized-the-best-angles-in-the-bathroom-mirror-from-which-to/) [Kris Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kidd/) > [“As I stumbled into confusion about what was real and what was not, the strangest thing happened: The world disintegrated. Reality collapsed, or my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-emunds/as-i-stumbled-into-confusion-about-what-was-real-and-what-was-not-the/) [Stefan Emunds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-emunds/) > [“he tried not to look back as the stale bread disintegrated in his stomach. A few times, he shifted again and watched the lights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/he-tried-not-to-look-back-as-the-stale-bread-disintegrated-in-his/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“I’ve memorized the best angles in the bathroom from which to see how badly I’ve disintegrated. I truly do go from sixty to zero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kidd/i-ve-memorized-the-best-angles-in-the-bathroom-from-which-to-see-how/) [Kris Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kidd/) > [Part of this new world of completely improvisational terrorism is that there were codes of war that disintegrated in the face of terrorism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/part-of-this-new-world-of-completely-improvisational-terrorism-is/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [“The flame went out and fizzled in the puddle beneath it, and nothing remained of the note but a couple of charred, disintegrated tatters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-angler/the-flame-went-out-and-fizzled-in-the-puddle-beneath-it-and-nothing/) Evan Angler > [“I haven’t got a clue why his bones disintegrated, but look at the bright side,” laughed Adam. “We won’t have to dispose of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-nowaz/i-haven-t-got-a-clue-why-his-bones-disintegrated-but-look-at-the/) [Max Nowaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-nowaz/) ## More by Meg Wolitzer > [New teachers were just a part of life, for a few days after one arrived, squawks of interest were emitted from various corners, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/new-teachers-were-just-a-part-of-life-for-a-few-days-after-one/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [“It was exhausting being a schizophrenic, which he was still convinced he was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/it-was-exhausting-being-a-schizophrenic-which-he-was-still-convinced/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [I always thought it was the saddest and most devastating ending. How you could have these enormous dreams that never get met. How without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/i-always-thought-it-was-the-saddest-and-most-devastating-ending-how/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [But clearly life took people and shook them around until finally they were unrecognizable even to those who had once known them well. Still,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/but-clearly-life-took-people-and-shook-them-around-until-finally-they/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [I don't write autobiographically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/i-don-t-write-autobiographically/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [“...the Iraq war was the Ishtar of wars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/the-iraq-war-was-the-ishtar-of-wars/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [“This was a time of life, she understood, in which you might not know what you were, but that was all right. You judged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/this-was-a-time-of-life-she-understood-in-which-you-might-not-know/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [“Another spell had been thrust upon her so long ago...She hadn't been able to see it but it was real. Otherwise why would you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/another-spell-had-been-thrust-upon-her-so-long-ago-she-hadn-t-been/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [Even if you yourself were unhappy and anxious, whenever you glimpsed happiness in your child, you suddenly became happy too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/even-if-you-yourself-were-unhappy-and-anxious-whenever-you-glimpsed/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [“The world of law was filled with the fallen, but theater wasn't. No one ever "fell back" onto theater. You had to really, really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/the-world-of-law-was-filled-with-the-fallen-but-theater-wasn-t-no-one/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [“Crema Seamans," Ethan repeated thoughtfully. "It's like a soup made from ... various semens. A medley of semens. It's a flavour of Campbell's soup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/crema-seamans-ethan-repeated-thoughtfully-it-s-like-a-soup-made-from/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [I've always been drawn to writing for young readers. The books that I read growing up remain in my mind very strongly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-writing-for-young-readers-the-books-that-i/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [“No one ever told you that in moment of crisis, family was allowed to trump friendship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/no-one-ever-told-you-that-in-moment-of-crisis-family-was-allowed-to/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [You had only one chance for a signature in life, but most people left no impression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/you-had-only-one-chance-for-a-signature-in-life-but-most-people-left/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [“Part of the beauty of love was that you didn't need to explain it to anyone else. You could refuse to explain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/part-of-the-beauty-of-love-was-that-you-didn-t-need-to-explain-it-to/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) [Explore all 178 Meg Wolitzer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) ## More Excellent life quotes > [Fact of LIFE: Dont be too confident when someone tells U she likes U,The real question is.. UNTIL WHEN..? Bcoz just like seasons.. SOME…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fact-of-life-dont-be-too-confident-when-someone-tells-u-she-likes-u/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Core values serve as a lighthouse when the fog of life seems to leave you wandering in circles; when you encounter that moment where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/core-values-serve-as-a-lighthouse-when-the-fog-of-life-seems-to-leave/) [J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/) > [“There may be a day when you find yourself standing at the precipice, looking down into the abyss of hopelessness and waiting, pleading, begging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/there-may-be-a-day-when-you-find-yourself-standing-at-the-precipice/) [J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/) > [“am bold and brave! I am excellent, I have an excellent life. I can do all things; I am powerful and influential.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anyaele-sam-chiyson/am-bold-and-brave-i-am-excellent-i-have-an-excellent-life-i-can-do/) Anyaele Sam Chiyson > [“Life is excellent or life blows, depending on how you look at it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-plum-ucci/life-is-excellent-or-life-blows-depending-on-how-you-look-at-it/) [Carol Plum-Ucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-plum-ucci/) > [For neither birth, nor wealth, nor honors, can awaken in the minds of men the principles which should guide those who from their youth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/for-neither-birth-nor-wealth-nor-honors-can-awaken-in-the-minds-of/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“One thing is undeniably clear. We have all had bad experiences, we have all had tragedies in our lives which help to shape who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris-2/one-thing-is-undeniably-clear-we-have-all-had-bad-experiences-we-have/) J. Loren Norris > [“The happy life is thought to be one of excellence; now an excellent life requires exertion, and does not consist in amusement. If Eudaimonia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-happy-life-is-thought-to-be-one-of-excellence-now-an-excellent/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [We don't get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life. Life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-don-t-get-a-chance-to-do-that-many-things-and-every-one-should-be/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Authority to dream is not given, it is taken. Take it. Do not let the judgment of others be the final word. Without a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/authority-to-dream-is-not-given-it-is-taken-take-it-do-not-let-the/) [J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/) > [“If you cannot see where you are going, ask someone who has been there before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/if-you-cannot-see-where-you-are-going-ask-someone-who-has-been-there/) [J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/) > [“Bad mind, bad life. Good mind, good life. Excellent mind, excellent life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/bad-mind-bad-life-good-mind-good-life-excellent-mind-excellent-life/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-don-t-get-a-chance-to-do-that-many-things-and-every-one-should-be-2/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“My prayer;Lord grant me the spirit of excellency.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/my-prayer-lord-grant-me-the-spirit-of-excellency/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Are you ready to possess your master piece; ready to live a life that is worthy of who you were made to be? You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/are-you-ready-to-possess-your-master-piece-ready-to-live-a-life-that/) [J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/) [Browse all 29 Excellent life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellent-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The city was a paradox, though maybe it had always been one. You could have an excellent life here, even as everything disintegrated.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Meg Wolitzer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/the-city-was-a-paradox-though-maybe-it-had-always-been-one-you-could/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Excellent life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/the-city-was-a-paradox-though-maybe-it-had-always-been-one-you-could/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/meg-wolitzer-2224_excellent-life_the-city-was-a-paradox-though-maybe-it-h_1394366.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/meg-wolitzer-2224_excellent-life_the-city-was-a-paradox-though-maybe-it-h_1394366.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b74/meg-wolitzer-2224_excellent-life_the-city-was-a-paradox-though-maybe-it-h_1394366.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The city was a paradox, though maybe it had always been one. You could have an excellent life here, even as…” — Meg Wolitzer", "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": "Meg Wolitzer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The city was a paradox, though...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/the-city-was-a-paradox-though-maybe-it-had-always-been-one-you-could/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/the-city-was-a-paradox-though-maybe-it-had-always-been-one-you-could/#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 } } ] } ```