--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Despite her apparent freedom, her life…" description: "\"“Despite her apparent freedom, her life consisted of endless hours spent waiting for a miracle, for true love, for an adventure with the same romantic ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/paulo-coelho-10_books_despite-her-apparent-freedom-her-life-co_1312482.jpg" --- # Despite her apparent freedom, her life consisted of… ![“Despite her apparent freedom, her life consisted of endless hours spent waiting for a miracle, for true love, for an adventure with the same romantic ending she had seen in films and read about in books. A writer once said that it is not time that changes man, nor knowledge; the only thing that…” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/paulo-coelho-10_books_despite-her-apparent-freedom-her-life-co_1312482.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/paulo-coelho-10_books_despite-her-apparent-freedom-her-life-co_1312482.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/paulo-coelho-10_books_despite-her-apparent-freedom-her-life-co_1312482.jpg) > ““Despite her apparent freedom, her life consisted of endless hours spent waiting for a miracle, for true love, for an adventure with the same romantic ending she had seen in films and read about in books. A writer once said that it is not time that changes man, nor knowledge; the only thing that can change someone's mind is love. What nonsense! The person who wrote that clearly knew only one side of the coin. Love was undoubtedly one of the things capable of changing a person's whole life, from one moment to the next. But there was the other side of the coin, the second thing that could make a human being take a totally different course from the one he or she had planned; and that was called despair. Yes, perhaps love really could transform someone, but despair did the job more quickly.”” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love can dramatically reshape a life, but despair can alter it even faster, highlighting the dual forces that drive human change. **In simple terms:** Love changes lives; despair can change them quicker. Key Takeaway Beware of despair’s swift power. Themes love despair transformation human nature choice Mood reflective somber Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - relationships - personal crises - career decisions - creative pursuits - spiritual quests Key Concepts psychology philosophy emotional dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What role does despair play in your life choices? - Can love truly outweigh despair? A Different Perspective Despair may be overlooked as a catalyst for change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-mind/) [Changing Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-person-424840/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Perhaps love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perhaps-love/) [Person Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-life/) [Transform Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transform-despair-3948514/) [Whole life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-life/) ## Related quotes > [“A writer once said that it is not time that changes man, nor knowledge; the only thing that can change someone's mind is love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-writer-once-said-that-it-is-not-time-that-changes-man-nor-knowledge-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love was undoubtedly one of the things capable of changing a person's whole life, from one moment to the next. But there was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-was-undoubtedly-one-of-the-things-capable-of-changing-a-person-s/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Perhaps love makes us old before our time - or young , if youth has passed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/perhaps-love-makes-us-old-before-our-time-or-young-if-youth-has-passed/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Perhaps love makes us grow old before our time and makes us young again when youth has passed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/perhaps-love-makes-us-grow-old-before-our-time-and-makes-us-young/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It isnt about becoming another person - I already am who I am - I just want my body to reflect that. Its not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-addison/it-isnt-about-becoming-another-person-i-already-am-who-i-am-i-just/) [Brooke Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-addison/) > [If you keep changing for every person who tells you to, then who's going to be left? Why get the success and be somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-kanakaredes/if-you-keep-changing-for-every-person-who-tells-you-to-then-who-s/) [Melina Kanakaredes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-kanakaredes/) > [“I guess relationships are just funny like that. It's impossible to figure out why some work out and others don't. Why someone can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-o-connell/i-guess-relationships-are-just-funny-like-that-it-s-impossible-to/) [Jenny O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-o-connell/) > [Never marry with the expectation of changing a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/never-marry-with-the-expectation-of-changing-a-person/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [What is the point of me changing? If I became another person, it would be bad. If I acted in a different way with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caster-semenya/what-is-the-point-of-me-changing-if-i-became-another-person-it-would/) [Caster Semenya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caster-semenya/) > [Truthfully, being pregnant is changing me as a person. Each day is part of this amazing journey that has completely shifted the focus of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-madison/truthfully-being-pregnant-is-changing-me-as-a-person-each-day-is-part/) [Holly Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-madison/) > [“when someone sees the same person every day, they wind up becoming a part of that person's life. And then they want the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-sees-the-same-person-every-day-they-wind-up-becoming-a/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“When someone sees the same people everyday, they wind up becoming a part of that person's life. And then they want the person to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-sees-the-same-people-everyday-they-wind-up-becoming-a/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“That was what made traveling appeal to him - he always made new friends, and he didnt need to spend all of his time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/that-was-what-made-traveling-appeal-to-him-he-always-made-new-friends/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“When someone sees the same people every day, as had happened with him at the seminary, they wind up becoming a part of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-sees-the-same-people-every-day-as-had-happened-with-him/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Death is our constant companion, and it is death that gives each person's life its true meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/death-is-our-constant-companion-and-it-is-death-that-gives-each/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Eat when it is time to eat. And walk when it is time to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/eat-when-it-is-time-to-eat-and-walk-when-it-is-time-to-walk/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness? I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-leaves-it-s-because-someone-else-is-about-to-arrive/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-need-to-understand-the-meaning-of-life-it-was-enough-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Explore all 3,665 Paulo Coelho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Despite her apparent freedom, her life consisted of endless hours spent waiting for a miracle, for true love, for an adventure with the same romantic ending she had seen in films and read about in books. A writer once said that it is not time that changes man, nor knowledge; the only thing that can change someone's mind is love. What nonsense! The person who wrote that clearly knew only one side of the coin. Love was undoubtedly one of the things capable of changing a person's whole life, from one moment to the next. But there was the other side of the coin, the second thing that could make a human being take a totally different course from the one he or she had planned; and that was called despair. Yes, perhaps love really could transform someone, but despair did the job more quickly.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paulo Coelho" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/despite-her-apparent-freedom-her-life-consisted-of-endless-hours/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/despite-her-apparent-freedom-her-life-consisted-of-endless-hours/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/paulo-coelho-10_books_despite-her-apparent-freedom-her-life-co_1312482.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/paulo-coelho-10_books_despite-her-apparent-freedom-her-life-co_1312482.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/paulo-coelho-10_books_despite-her-apparent-freedom-her-life-co_1312482.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Despite her apparent freedom, her life consisted of endless hours spent waiting for a miracle, for true…” — Paulo Coelho", "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": "Paulo Coelho", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Despite her apparent freedom, her life...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/despite-her-apparent-freedom-her-life-consisted-of-endless-hours/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/despite-her-apparent-freedom-her-life-consisted-of-endless-hours/#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 } } ] } ```