I do not believe that there were more happy marriages before divorce became socially acceptable, that people tried harder, got through their rough times, and were better off. I believe that more people suffered.

More quotes by Ann Patchett

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"Reading fiction is important. It is a vital means of imagining a life other than our own, which in turn makes us more empathetic beings. Following complex story lines stretches our brains beyond the 140 characters of sound-bite thinking, and staying within the world of a novel gives us the ability to be quiet and alone, two skills that are disappearing faster than the polar icecaps."

- Ann Patchett

Inspiration

"It's always better to have too much to read than not enough."

- Ann Patchett

Motivation

"To say it was a beautiful day would not begin to explain it. It was that day when the end of summer intersects perfectly with the start of fall."

- Ann Patchett

Change

"Do you think it’s possible to ever see the past as it actually was?"

- Ann Patchett

Reflection

"Reading fiction is important. It is a vital means of imagining a life other than our own, which in turn makes us more empathetic beings."

- Ann Patchett

Empathy

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"We cannot control who we fall in love with, but we can choose how we treat them."

- Beauty and the Beast

Relationships

"I think it takes a strong man to be in a relationship with a strong woman. A lot of people hear the word ‘diva’ and think of it as a negative. I see it as a positive. I want somebody who knows what they want out of life and isn’t afraid to show it."

- Nick Cannon

Relationships

"It’s not what’s under the tree that matters, it’s who’s gathered around it."

Relationships

"As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December’s bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same."

- Donald E. Westlake

Relationships

"A man who correctly guesses a woman’s age may be smart, but he’s not very bright."

- Lucille Ball

Relationships