--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Light like this does not exist, but we…" description: "\"Light like this does not exist, but we wish it did. We wish the sun could make us young and beautiful, we wish our clothes could glisten and ripple aga..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/susanna-kaysen-3041_beautiful_light-like-this-does-not-exist-but-we-wi_101178.png" --- # Light like this does not exist, but we wish it did. We… ![“Light like this does not exist, but we wish it did. We wish the sun could make us young and beautiful, we wish our clothes could glisten and ripple against our skins, most of all, we wish that everyone we knew could be brightened simply by our looking at them, as are the maid with the letter and…” quote by Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/susanna-kaysen-3041_beautiful_light-like-this-does-not-exist-but-we-wi_101178.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/susanna-kaysen-3041_beautiful_light-like-this-does-not-exist-but-we-wi_101178.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/susanna-kaysen-3041_beautiful_light-like-this-does-not-exist-but-we-wi_101178.png) > “Light like this does not exist, but we wish it did. We wish the sun could make us young and beautiful, we wish our clothes could glisten and ripple against our skins, most of all, we wish that everyone we knew could be brightened simply by our looking at them, as are the maid with the letter and the soldier with the hat.” [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage idealizes an impossible, radiant light that could grant youth, beauty, and emotional uplift, revealing human longing for transformative perfection. **In simple terms:** We wish for a magical light that makes everything perfect. Key Takeaway Desire for unattainable perfection. Themes longing beauty youth fantasy human desire Mood wistful dreamy Type poetic yearning cultural critique When to use this quote - advertising luxury products - fictional world‑building - personal development workshops - therapy exploring unrealistic expectations Key Concepts idealization psychology of wish‑fulfillment Practical Applications - use metaphor to discuss realistic self‑acceptance - design campaigns that acknowledge but temper idealized wishes Questions to Reflect On - What does the imagined light symbolize for the author? - How can we balance aspiration with realism? A Different Perspective The fantasy may distract from practical self‑improvement efforts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Clothes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clothes/) [Glisten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glisten/) [Hats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hats/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Ripple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ripple/) [Soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldier/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Young and beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-and-beautiful/) ## Related quotes > [“do you or don't you know the two worlds I'm talking about, the world that doesn't exist where you wish you could be on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-liebegott/do-you-or-don-t-you-know-the-two-worlds-i-m-talking-about-the-world/) [Ali Liebegott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-liebegott/) > [My world is beautiful because of you and I wish to spend the rest of my life loving you.I love you forever!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hemantsmarty/my-world-is-beautiful-because-of-you-and-i-wish-to-spend-the-rest-of/) Hemantsmarty > [“What are you thinking about?” I ask. “You. Then, and now. How beautiful you were back then, and how even more beautiful you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-towle/what-are-you-thinking-about-i-ask-you-then-and-now-how-beautiful-you/) [Samantha Towle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-towle/) > [It is beautiful to wish to add another's light to your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/it-is-beautiful-to-wish-to-add-another-s-light-to-your-own/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Some bridges are so beautiful that we wish them to be our own home!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/some-bridges-are-so-beautiful-that-we-wish-them-to-be-our-own-home/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [For a man, no more beautiful wish has ever found yet than wishing him a life full of kindness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/for-a-man-no-more-beautiful-wish-has-ever-found-yet-than-wishing-him/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [You’re so beautiful. I wish I’d seen you as a child. (Acheron) You didn’t miss much. I had buck teeth and stringy hair. (Kat)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/you-re-so-beautiful-i-wish-i-d-seen-you-as-a-child-acheron-you-didn-t/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“I’ve gone back to the Frick since then to look at her and at the two other Vermeers. Vermeers, after all, are hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/i-ve-gone-back-to-the-frick-since-then-to-look-at-her-and-at-the-two/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [I wish my Sun may never set, but burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bradstreet/i-wish-my-sun-may-never-set-but-burn/) [Anne Bradstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bradstreet/) > [Positive wish: 'The sun will come out tomorrow.' Negative reality: 'Yeah, and it will flash brand-new daylight on the same old mess unless something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-knight/positive-wish-the-sun-will-come-out-tomorrow-negative-reality-yeah/) [Bobby Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-knight/) > [“Unless you have a never-ending love for the sun, never wish for a sun that never sets!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/unless-you-have-a-never-ending-love-for-the-sun-never-wish-for-a-sun/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I wish for the breeze to blow away our troubles. I wish for the sun to dry out our sorrows. I wish for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/i-wish-for-the-breeze-to-blow-away-our-troubles-i-wish-for-the-sun-to/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [ “\[Patty's\] Copernican wish to the be sun around which all things revolved” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/patty-s-copernican-wish-to-the-be-sun-around-which-all-things-revolved/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [“I wish you could have been there for the sun & the rain & the long, hard hills. For the sound of a thousand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-wish-you-could-have-been-there-for-the-sun-the-rain-the-long-hard/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [How I wish you are the sun that brighten up my day and also the moon that lighten up my darkest moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/usman-ismaheel/how-i-wish-you-are-the-sun-that-brighten-up-my-day-and-also-the-moon/) [Usman Ismaheel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/usman-ismaheel/) ## More by Susanna Kaysen > [I had an inspiration once. I woke up one morning and I knew that it was my task to swallow fifty asprin.It was my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/i-had-an-inspiration-once-i-woke-up-one-morning-and-i-knew-that-it/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [I don't have a whole bunch of literary connections. I don't write reviews or attend writer's conferences. I'm kind of shy and don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/i-don-t-have-a-whole-bunch-of-literary-connections-i-don-t-write/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [If I could have any job in the world I'd be a professional Cinderella.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/if-i-could-have-any-job-in-the-world-i-d-be-a-professional-cinderella/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [Lunatics are similar to designated hitters. Often an entire family is crazy, but since an entire family can't go into the hospital, one person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/lunatics-are-similar-to-designated-hitters-often-an-entire-family-is/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [It's one of the reasons I became a writer, to be able to smoke in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/it-s-one-of-the-reasons-i-became-a-writer-to-be-able-to-smoke-in-peace/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [It's a fairly accurate portrait of me at eighteen, minus a few quirks like reckless driving and eating binges. It's accurate but it isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/it-s-a-fairly-accurate-portrait-of-me-at-eighteen-minus-a-few-quirks/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [For many of us, the hospital was as much a refuge as it was a prison. Though we were cut off from the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/for-many-of-us-the-hospital-was-as-much-a-refuge-as-it-was-a-prison/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [Freedom was the price of privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/freedom-was-the-price-of-privacy/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [“People ask, How did you get in there? What they really want to know is if they are likely to end up in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/people-ask-how-did-you-get-in-there-what-they-really-want-to-know-is/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [It was my misfortune-or salvation-to be at all times perfectly conscious of my misperceptions of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/it-was-my-misfortune-or-salvation-to-be-at-all-times-perfectly/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [Scar tissue has no character. It's not like skin. It doesn't show age or illness or pallor or tan. It has no pores, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/scar-tissue-has-no-character-it-s-not-like-skin-it-doesn-t-show-age/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [When women are angry at men, they call them heartless. When men are angry at women, they call them crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/when-women-are-angry-at-men-they-call-them-heartless-when-men-are/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [ Disease \[is\] as one of our languages. Doctors understand what disease has to say about itself. It's up to the person with the disease… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/disease-is-as-one-of-our-languages-doctors-understand-what-disease/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [“Asa had a sharp understanding of the future--that is, a time when this would be past. Time was rushing through and around him, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/asa-had-a-sharp-understanding-of-the-future-that-is-a-time-when-this/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [The world didn't stop because we weren't in it anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/the-world-didn-t-stop-because-we-weren-t-in-it-anymore/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) [Explore all 137 Susanna Kaysen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) ## More Beautiful quotes > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Being beautiful comes naturally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-beautiful-comes-naturally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/) Tumblr > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [Growing up in Iceland, it was very beautiful, very safe, but quite isolated. There was something about jazz music that had a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/growing-up-in-iceland-it-was-very-beautiful-very-safe-but-quite/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/) [Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/) > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) [Browse all 17,976 Beautiful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Light like this does not exist, but we wish it did. We wish the sun could make us young and beautiful, we wish our clothes could glisten and ripple against our skins, most of all, we wish that everyone we knew could be brightened simply by our looking at them, as are the maid with the letter and the soldier with the hat.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susanna Kaysen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/light-like-this-does-not-exist-but-we-wish-it-did-we-wish-the-sun/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beautiful" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/light-like-this-does-not-exist-but-we-wish-it-did-we-wish-the-sun/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/susanna-kaysen-3041_beautiful_light-like-this-does-not-exist-but-we-wi_101178.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/susanna-kaysen-3041_beautiful_light-like-this-does-not-exist-but-we-wi_101178.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/susanna-kaysen-3041_beautiful_light-like-this-does-not-exist-but-we-wi_101178.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Light like this does not exist, but we wish it did. We wish the sun could make us young and beautiful, we…” — Susanna Kaysen", "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": "Susanna Kaysen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Light like this does not exist,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/light-like-this-does-not-exist-but-we-wish-it-did-we-wish-the-sun/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/light-like-this-does-not-exist-but-we-wish-it-did-we-wish-the-sun/#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 } } ] } ```