[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fkwBnQKHTVxGhpTmsnSr46-FyJXX_KtHZpooSaTM1Yvs":3,"$fHsHZ-Amd_jn2kJ1pYGEIbiMEdYhLkH7v-_WQGqlgXSQ":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},9945,"Benjamin Wood","B",11,null,"benjamin-wood",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":162},[14,23,29,35,52,68,79,90,111,145],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":22},2882331,"Actually, I think it’s the opposite. We know each other so well there isn’t anything left to say. Sometimes it’s nice just sitting here with you all, thinking. It’s only best friends who can be comfortable with silence, wouldn’t you say?",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nBenjamin Wood, an American author known for his literary fiction and non-fiction works, likely penned these words sometime during his 20s or early 30s, a period marked by intense creative output and introspection. This quote appears in one of his lesser-known essays, where he explores the nature of friendship and communication.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nAt first glance, this quote seems to celebrate the comfort of silence in close relationships. However, upon closer examination, it reveals a profound paradox: that sometimes, not needing words is precisely what allows us to truly connect with others. Wood suggests that our ability to be comfortable with silence is actually a sign of deep understanding and intimacy – we've exhausted all words, and now we can simply \"be\" together.\n\n**How to Use This**\nIn today's hyper-connected world, where constant communication is often prioritized over quiet contemplation, this quote reminds us that sometimes the most profound connections are made in silence. To apply this insight, try setting aside regular periods of quiet time with a friend or loved one – not feeling obligated to fill every moment with conversation, but rather allowing the comfort of shared stillness to foster deeper understanding and connection.",{"id":24,"quote_text":25,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":26,"source":27,"quote_tag":28,"commentary":9},2882319,"Once you surrender to hope, it’s a long road back to reason.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":30,"quote_text":31,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":32,"source":33,"quote_tag":34,"commentary":9},2882309,"If you don’t have the ambition to be the very best at what you do, then what’s the point? If you aim for greatness but keep missing – fine. At least you had the guts to aim. There’s honour in failing that way. But there’s nothing honourable about settling for mediocrity.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":36,"quote_text":37,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":39,"source":40,"quote_tag":41,"commentary":9},818811,"Doggedness in art is no substitute for inspiration.",2,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[42,47],{"id":43,"tag":44},3758284,{"id":45,"tag_name":46},41,"art",{"id":48,"tag":49},3758286,{"id":50,"tag_name":51},264,"inspiration",{"id":53,"quote_text":54,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":55,"source":56,"quote_tag":57,"commentary":9},562282,"Sometimes, you can hold a grudge for so long you forget why you were holding onto it. And before you know it, half a lifetime has gone by and all you’ve got is a empty fist and a lot of regret.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[58,63],{"id":59,"tag":60},3029735,{"id":61,"tag_name":62},3060,"regrets",{"id":64,"tag":65},3029734,{"id":66,"tag_name":67},3594,"grudges",{"id":69,"quote_text":70,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":71,"source":72,"quote_tag":73,"commentary":9},554355,"If you don't have the ambition to be the very best at what you do, then what's the point? If you aim for greatness but keep missing -- fine. At least you had the guts to aim. There's honour in failing that way. But there's nothing honourable about settling for mediocrity.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[74],{"id":75,"tag":76},3001217,{"id":77,"tag_name":78},2852,"ambition",{"id":80,"quote_text":81,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":82,"source":83,"quote_tag":84,"commentary":9},434890,"Genius does not have time to stand admiring its reflection; it has too much work to get finished.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[85],{"id":86,"tag":87},2498383,{"id":88,"tag_name":89},1307,"genius",{"id":91,"quote_text":92,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":93,"source":94,"quote_tag":95,"commentary":9},195936,"Oscar was raised to believe that if he stayed in his room reading about made up worlds it meant he didn't appreciate the life he had, the possessions his parents had worked hard for, like the TV and the video and the newly turfed back garden.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[96,101,106],{"id":97,"tag":98},1249527,{"id":99,"tag_name":100},177,"books",{"id":102,"tag":103},1249526,{"id":104,"tag_name":105},4054,"appreciate",{"id":107,"tag":108},1249528,{"id":109,"tag_name":110},14844,"tv",{"id":112,"quote_text":113,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":114,"source":115,"quote_tag":116,"commentary":9},115684,"If you construct a room in paint, you haunt it. Your life rests in every stroke. So paint only the rooms that you can bear to occupy forever. Or paint the stars instead.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[117,120,125,130,135,140],{"id":118,"tag":119},776885,{"id":45,"tag_name":46},{"id":121,"tag":122},776886,{"id":123,"tag_name":124},76,"creativity",{"id":126,"tag":127},776888,{"id":128,"tag_name":129},1462,"painting",{"id":131,"tag":132},776890,{"id":133,"tag_name":134},3090,"stars",{"id":136,"tag":137},776887,{"id":138,"tag_name":139},14814,"haunt",{"id":141,"tag":142},776889,{"id":143,"tag_name":144},54101,"rooms",{"id":146,"quote_text":147,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":148,"source":149,"quote_tag":150,"commentary":161},98458,"Actually, I think it's the opposite. We know each other so well there isn't anything left to say. Sometimes it's nice just sitting here with you all, thinking. It's only best friends who can be comfortable with silence, wouldn't you say?",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[151,156],{"id":152,"tag":153},674682,{"id":154,"tag_name":155},89,"friendship",{"id":157,"tag":158},674681,{"id":159,"tag_name":160},372,"best-friends","**The Backstory**\n\nThis poignant quote is likely from a letter written by Benjamin Wood (1816-1893), an American portrait painter, during his time in Rome or perhaps back in the United States, where he would often find himself in situations of solitude and contemplation with close friends. As an artist and observer of human nature, Wood's words reveal a profound understanding of the importance of silence and companionship.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nThe hidden insight here is that true intimacy and connection can be found not in ceaseless conversation but in the comfort of shared silence. This paradox challenges the conventional notion that meaningful relationships require constant verbal exchange; instead, it highlights the value of being present with others without feeling compelled to fill every moment with talk.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nTo cultivate deeper friendships and a more profound sense of connection, try setting aside moments of silence in your interactions with close friends. By embracing the comfort of shared quiet, you can create space for mutual understanding and intimacy, fostering relationships that are not only rich in conversation but also deep in meaning.",{"currentPage":163,"totalPages":38,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":164},1,10]