Marriage Quote by Richard Russo
““For Miles, one of the great mysteries of marriage was that you had to actually say things before you realized they were wrong. Because he'd been saying the wrong thing to Janine for so many years, he'd grown wary, testing most of his observations in the arena of his imagination before saying them out loud, but even then he was often wrong. Of course, the other possibility was that there was no right thing to say, that the choice wasn't between right and wrong but between wrong, more wrong, and as wrong as you can get. Wrong, all of it, to one degree or another, by definition, or by virtue of the fact that Miles himself was the one saying it.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo, 1993
Communication in marriage often feels uncertain; saying things can reveal mistakes, yet there may be no perfect wording, only varying degrees of error.
In simple terms: Talking can expose errors, but perfection is impossible.
Key Takeaway
Speak honestly, accept imperfection.
Themes
marriage
communication
uncertainty
Mood
reflective
anxious
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- counseling sessions
- daily conversations
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
self-awareness
relational dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you decide when to speak or hold back?
- What does “right” even mean in relationships?
A Different Perspective
Even honest speech can be flawed; sometimes silence is safer.
![“I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to [when I started my career], because so many things are on the road. I just don't want to be away from my husband, my dogs and my home. I don't sing that much any more because that also takes you on the road.” quote by Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/07c/jane-powell-36243_away_i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s_278.jpg)
