“To look life in the face, always, to look life in the face, and to know it for what it is...at last, to love it for what it is, and then, to put it away...”
In this quote by Virginia Woolf, she emphasizes the importance of confronting and accepting life for what it truly is. By encouraging the reader to "look life in the face," Woolf is urging them to confront the realities of life head-on, without fear or hesitation. She suggests that by doing so, one can come to a place of love and acceptance for life as it is, flaws and all. The notion of "putting it away" could be interpreted as finding a way to let go of the weight of reality and truly appreciate and embrace life. Overall, Woolf's message in this quote speaks to the significance of facing life's challenges and complexities with a sense of understanding and love.
Virginia Woolf's words about embracing life for what it truly is and then letting go of expectations or attachments resonate strongly in today's fast-paced and often chaotic world. In a society that often encourages us to constantly chase after more, it is important to pause, acknowledge the realities of our existence, and find beauty in the imperfections. This quote reminds us to accept life as it comes, without judgment or resistance, and to find love and gratitude in all that it offers.
"To look life in the face, always, to look life in the face, and to know it for what it is...at last, to love it for what it is, and then, to put it away..." - Virginia Woolf
This quote from Virginia Woolf emphasizes the importance of facing reality head-on, accepting life for what it is, and ultimately finding peace with it.
Consider the following questions to reflect on Virginia Woolf's quote:
“That is my face,' said Rhoda, 'in the looking-glass behind Susan's shoulder - that is my face. But I will duck behind her to hide it, for I am not here. I have no face. Other people have faces; Susan and Jinny have faces; they are here. Their world is the real world. The things they lift are heavy. They say Yes, they say No; whereas I shift and change and am seen through in a second. If they meet a housemaid she looks at them without laughing. But she laughs at me. They know what to say if spoken to. They laugh really; they get angry really; while I have to look first and do what other people do when they have done it.”
“Other people have faces; Susan and Jinny have faces; they are here. Their world is the real world. The things they lift are heavy. They say Yes, they say No; whereas I shift and change and am seen through in a second. If they meet a housemaid she looks at them without laughing. But she laughs at me. They know what to say if spoken to. They laugh really; they get angry really; while I have to look first and do what other people do when they have done it.”
“He looked very old. He looked, James thought, getting his head now against the Lighthouse, now against the waste of waters running away into the open, like some old stone lying on the sand; he looked as if he had become physically what was always at the back of both of their minds—that loneliness which was for both of them the truth about things.”
“what she loved: life, London, this moment of June.”
“Dear Leonard. To look life in the face. Always to look life in the face and to know it for what it is. At last to know it. To love it for what it is, and then, to put it away. Leonard. Always the years between us. Always the years. Always the love. Always the hours.”
“What amulet is there against this disaster? What face can I summon to lay cool upon this heat?”