“It is better for the heart to break, than not to break.”
Explore This Quote Further
Analysis of Quote from Mary Oliver
In this quote, Mary Oliver suggests that experiencing heartbreak is ultimately better than never allowing oneself to be vulnerable and open to love. She emphasizes the importance of being willing to take risks in order to fully experience life, even if it means experiencing pain. Oliver's words highlight the idea that embracing vulnerability and allowing oneself to feel deeply is essential for personal growth and an authentic human experience.
Finding Strength in Vulnerability
The quote by Mary Oliver reminds us of the importance of experiencing heartbreak and embracing vulnerability. In today's fast-paced and often superficial world, it can be easy to avoid emotional pain and shield ourselves from getting hurt. However, allowing ourselves to feel and process heartbreak can lead to personal growth, resilience, and ultimately, a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.
Mary Oliver on the Heart
One of Mary Oliver's timeless quotes reads: "It is better for the heart to break, than not to break." Oliver was known for her deep insights on life, love, and nature.
Reflection Questions
Reflecting on the quote by Mary Oliver, "It is better for the heart to break, than not to break," consider the following questions:
- In what ways can experiencing heartbreak lead to personal growth and insight?
- How have past experiences of heartbreak shaped your perspective on life and relationships?
- Do you agree with the idea that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? Why or why not?
- What strategies do you use to cope with heartbreak and navigate through challenging emotional experiences?
- How can moments of vulnerability and emotional pain ultimately lead to greater understanding and compassion towards oneself and others?
Similar quotes
“I tell you thisto break your heart,by which I mean onlythat it break open and never close againto the rest of the world.”
“And I do not want anymore to be useful, to be docile, to lead / children out of the fields into the text / of civility, to teach them that they are (they are not) better than the grass.”
“LandscapeIsn't it plain the sheets of moss, except thatthey have no tongues, could lectureall day if they wanted aboutspiritual patience? Isn't it clearthe black oaks along the path are standingas though they were the most fragile of flowers?Every morning I walk like this aroundthe pond, thinking: if the doors of my heartever close, I am as good as dead.Every morning, so far, I'm alive. And nowthe crows break off from the rest of the darknessand burst up into the sky—as thoughall night they had thought of what they would like their lives to be, and imaginedtheir strong, thick wings.”
“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.”
“eventually tides will be the only calendar you believe in…And someone’s face, whom you love, will be as a starBoth intimate and ultimate, And you will be heart-shaken and respectful. And you will hear the air itself, like a beloved, whisperOh let me, for a while longer, enter the twoBeautiful bodies of your lungs...Look, and look again.This world is not just a little thrill for your eyes.It’s more than bones.It’s more than the delicate wrist with its personal pulse.It’s more than the beating of a single heart.It’s praising.It’s giving until the giving feels like receiving.You have a life- just imagine that!You have this day, and maybe another, and maybeStill another…And I have become the child of the clouds, and of hope.I have become the friend of the enemy, whoever that is.I have become older and, cherishing what I have learned, I have become younger.And what do I risk to tell you this, which is all I know?Love yourself. Then forget it. Then, love the world.”
“If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happened better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb. (Don't Hesitate)”