Austerity Quote by Sue Miller
“And what if we’d been utterly open? Made jokes about the first wife? What if we’d been that kind of family? Well, I would have been different, surely. But not because I knew the secret. For it wasn’t the secret—the secret that wasn’t a secret anyway—that led to the austerity in our lives. It was the austerity that led to the secret. And what I had been marked by, probably most of all, was the austerity. It had made secrets in my life too. Or silences, anyway, that became secrets. That became lies.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Woman Who Walked into the Sea by Sue Miller, 1995
Openness can break cycles of secrecy and austerity, revealing hidden truths and allowing authentic change.
In simple terms: Being open can end hidden lies and austerity.
Key Takeaway
Embrace openness to uncover truth.
Themes
authenticity
secrecy
family
personal growth
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
philosophical
personal
When to use this quote
- family discussions
- therapy
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
psychology
social dynamics
self-awareness
Questions to Reflect On
- What secrets are you keeping?
- How does openness change family dynamics?
A Different Perspective
Openness may expose painful truths that are hard to face.
![“I tried to talk about it to Lily, to make her see that for once, I'd earned a feeling. [p. 174]” quote by Sue Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7c6/sue-miller-18553_feeling_i-tried-to-talk-about-it-to-lily-to-make_368900.jpg)
