I left because I couldn't....... Because you couldn't bear to let him leave you. You felt it, didn't you? You felt him fading even then. You knew that he needed to go away, to end this life, and you couldn't bear to let another man leave you so you left him first.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A character explains leaving someone to avoid being left again, projecting their own fear of abandonment onto the other person.
- In plain terms
- I left first because I could not handle being left by someone else.
- What can you take from it?
- Fear of abandonment can drive people to end relationships early.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Do you leave to avoid being left?
- Who controls the end?
Another view
It rationalizes selfishness as insight into the other's needs.
More from Orson Scott Card
Have I lost my mind? Or have I, finally, found my heart?
Permalink to quote #237 What had been lost was found again. And those who had been hungry without knowing the name of their hunger, were fed.
Permalink to quote #239 When did I first start wanting him to love me?
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