There's no pain on earth that doesn't crave a benevolent witness.
Sue Monk Kidd The Invention of Wings
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In the novel "The Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd, a profound theme emerges around the human experience of suffering and the essential need for empathy. The quote "There's no pain on earth that doesn't crave a benevolent witness" encapsulates the idea that individuals facing hardships yearn for compassion and understanding from others. This longing for a supportive presence highlights the importance of connection and community in overcoming life's struggles.

The narrative follows the intertwining lives of its characters, shedding light on their personal battles and the solace they find in relationships. Kidd emphasizes that having someone to bear witness to one's pain can be transformative. This acknowledgment and validation of suffering not only provide comfort but also foster resilience, illustrating the powerful role that empathy plays in healing and personal growth.

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The Invention of Wings
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Sue Monk Kidd
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Other quotes in The Invention of Wings

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from.
Sue Monk Kidd The Invention of Wings
If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from.
I saw then what I hadn't seen before, that I was very good at despising slavery in the abstract, in the removed and anonymous masses, but in the concrete, intimate flesh of the girl beside me, I'd lost the ability to be repulsed by it. I'd grown comfortable with the particulars of evil. There's a frightful muteness that dwells at the center of all unspeakable things, and I had found my way into it.
Sue Monk Kidd The Invention of Wings
I saw then what I hadn't seen before, that I was very good at despising slavery in the abstract, in the removed and anonymous masses, but in the concrete, intimate flesh of the girl beside me, I'd lost the ability to be repulsed by it. I'd grown comfortable with the particulars of evil. There's a frightful muteness that dwells at the center of all unspeakable things, and I had found my way into it.
When I was being forgiving, I said that my mother was simply exhausted. I suspected, though, she was simply mean.
Sue Monk Kidd The Invention of Wings
When I was being forgiving, I said that my mother was simply exhausted. I suspected, though, she was simply mean.
Professor Julius Lester, which I kept propped on my desk: History is not just facts and events. History is also a pain in the heart and we repeat history until we are able to make another's pain in the heart our own.
Sue Monk Kidd The Invention of Wings
Professor Julius Lester, which I kept propped on my desk: History is not just facts and events. History is also a pain in the heart and we repeat history until we are able to make another's pain in the heart our own.
If everyone was so keen to Christianize the slaves, why weren't they taught to read the Bible for themselves?
Sue Monk Kidd The Invention of Wings
If everyone was so keen to Christianize the slaves, why weren't they taught to read the Bible for themselves?
Her forbidden bath all those months ago still hung leaden between us, though Handful didn't seem the least bit ashamed by my discovery of it. Rather the opposite, she was like someone who'd risen to her full measure.
Sue Monk Kidd The Invention of Wings
Her forbidden bath all those months ago still hung leaden between us, though Handful didn't seem the least bit ashamed by my discovery of it. Rather the opposite, she was like someone who'd risen to her full measure.
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Other quotes in book quote

All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Edward Gorey Ascending Peculiarity:...
All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
For me the curse is a crutch, but the con is everything.
Holly Black White Cat
For me the curse is a crutch, but the con is everything.
I don't have anything against God. Far from it. But I don't understand Him. And I don't trust a lot of the people that go around claiming that they're working in His best interests.
Jim Butcher Grave Peril
I don't have anything against God. Far from it. But I don't understand Him. And I don't trust a lot of the people that go around claiming that they're working in His best interests.
Now that you're an adult, you might still feel a pang of guilt when you decline a dinner invitation in favor of a good book. Or maybe you like to eat alone in restaurants and could do without the pitying looks from fellow diners. Or you're told that you're "in your head too much," a phrase that's often deployed against the quiet and cerebral. Of course, there's another word for such people: thinkers.
Susan Cain Quiet: The Power of...
Now that you're an adult, you might still feel a pang of guilt when you decline a dinner invitation in favor of a good book. Or maybe you like to eat alone in restaurants and could do without the pitying looks from fellow diners. Or you're told that you're "in your head too much," a phrase that's often deployed against the quiet and cerebral. Of course, there's another word for such people: thinkers.
I found Esau's field guide at the bottom of my pack. Taking a candle into the bedroom, I read his book until my eyes grew heavy. From his vast notes, it seemed that almost every plant and tree in the jungle had a reason for existing. I caught myself wishing there was a page in his guide that had my picture on it with the reason for my existence written underneath in Esau's neat hand.
Maria V. Snyder Magic Study
I found Esau's field guide at the bottom of my pack. Taking a candle into the bedroom, I read his book until my eyes grew heavy. From his vast notes, it seemed that almost every plant and tree in the jungle had a reason for existing. I caught myself wishing there was a page in his guide that had my picture on it with the reason for my existence written underneath in Esau's neat hand.
Here's a nifty solution: Each couple that marries should take on an entirely new surname, chosen however they want as long as both agree to it, so that a day after the wedding, both husband and wife can hold hands and joyfully journey off to the municipal offices to change their passports, driver's licenses, signatures, initials, bank accounts, etc.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Dear Ijeawele, or A...
Here's a nifty solution: Each couple that marries should take on an entirely new surname, chosen however they want as long as both agree to it, so that a day after the wedding, both husband and wife can hold hands and joyfully journey off to the municipal offices to change their passports, driver's licenses, signatures, initials, bank accounts, etc.
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