Brainwashing Quote by Miranda July
““If you were wise enough to know that this life would consist mostly of letting go of things you wanted, then why not get good at the letting go, rather than the trying to have? These exotic revelation bubbled up involuntarily and I began to understand that the sleeplessness and vigilance and constant feedings were a form of brainwashing, a process by which my old self was being molded, slowly but with a steady force, into a new shape: a mother. It hurt. I tried to be conscious while it happened, like watching my own surgery. I hope to retain a tiny corner of the old me, just enough to warn other women with. But I knew this was unlikely; when the process was complete I wouldn't have anything left to complain with, it wouldn't hurt anymore, I wouldn't remember.””
About This Quote
Source Book: No Book of the Dead by Miranda July, 2015
Life demands continual surrender; mastering letting go eases suffering more than clinging to desires.
In simple terms: Let go to ease pain.
Key Takeaway
Practice release, not acquisition.
Themes
accepturrender
identity
motherhood
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
personal essay
philosophical
When to use this quote
- parenting
- career change
- personal growth
- grief healing
Key Concepts
psychology
transformation
attachment
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you honor your past self while embracing change?
- What practices help you release attachment?
A Different Perspective
Letting go may cause loss of self‑identity and grief.
![“The thing I am most interested in is power relations - it is so easy in a relationship like that [of an artist and a gallery manager], to imagine that the other person is living a perfect life.” quote by Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7d7/miranda-july-1600_artist_the-thing-i-am-most-interested-in-is-pow_70745.jpg)
