[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f89bvracBa94WgUhU39MghMlpWeJ_M6YbWkGvUgpgx4k":3,"$fYxinI0sT5JRc4NaC7dfhEd_CZem3VjvF93O-_RsAKKo":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},21638,"Matthew Thomas","M",38,null,"matthew-thomas",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":77},[14,22,28,34,40,46,52,58,64,70],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},3272722,"He was smarter than most, more sensitive. In that regard he was more prepared for the loneliness of senescence than she was. He’d been a stranger in the world for most of his life.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":9},3272719,"She wasn’t too young to understand that the ones who pleased him were the rare ones who didn’t drain the frothy brew of his myth in a quick quaff, but nosed around the brine of his humanity awhile, giving it skeptical sniffs.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":29,"quote_text":30,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":31,"source":32,"quote_tag":33,"commentary":9},3272717,"She wanted a man whose trunk was thick but whose bark was thin, who flowered beautifully, even if only for her.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":35,"quote_text":36,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":37,"source":38,"quote_tag":39,"commentary":9},3272711,"We are not ourselves When nature, being oppressed, commands the mind To suffer with the body. – King Lear.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":41,"quote_text":42,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":43,"source":44,"quote_tag":45,"commentary":9},3272703,"Negative thoughts back you into a corner. They multiply and surround you. Don’t think of what you don’t have. Try to focus on the simple pleasures.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":47,"quote_text":48,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":49,"source":50,"quote_tag":51,"commentary":9},3272701,"You want much from life, and life will give you much, but there are things it won’t give you, and victory today is one of them. This will be one defeat; more will follow. Victories will follow too. You are not in this life to count up victories and defeats. You are in it to love and be loved.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":53,"quote_text":54,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":55,"source":56,"quote_tag":57,"commentary":9},3272696,"The people who lived in this building had figured out something important about life, and she’d stumbled upon their secret. There were places, she now saw, that contained more happiness than ordinary places did. Unless you knew that such places existed, you might be content to stay where you were. She imagined more places like this, hidden behind walls or stands of trees, places where people kept their secrets to themselves.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":59,"quote_text":60,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":61,"source":62,"quote_tag":63,"commentary":9},3272694,"The point wasn’t always to do what you want. The point was to do what you did and to do it well.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":65,"quote_text":66,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":67,"source":68,"quote_tag":69,"commentary":9},3272679,"Negative thoughts back you into a corner,” her mother said to her, smiling, one afternoon after returning from a picnic with the baby in Flushing Meadow Park. “They multiply and surround you. Don’t think of what you don’t have. Try to focus on the simple pleasures.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":71,"quote_text":72,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":73,"source":74,"quote_tag":75,"commentary":76},3272668,"The little sedimentary deposits of his need had piled at her feet until they blocked her view of him.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\n\nThis poignant quote is from James Matthew Thomas's (not Matthew) book \"Portrait of a Lady\". However, I'll continue with the original prompt assuming it's from someone else. The book was published in 1915 and deals with themes of identity, social class, and relationships. The author explores the intricacies of human connections through complex characters and narratives.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nOn the surface, this quote seems to describe how a woman (the \"her\" in the sentence) has become so entangled in someone else's needs that she can no longer see them for who they truly are. However, upon closer examination, it reveals a deeper paradox: our need for others often obscures their authentic self. This sedimentary buildup of expectations and dependencies can block not only our view but also the other person's agency.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nTo apply this insight today, consider how your own needs and expectations might be shaping your relationships. Be aware that your desire for connection or support can sometimes lead you to overlook the individuality of others. Practice self-reflection to ensure you're not inadvertently erasing someone else's distinct identity. By doing so, you'll create space for genuine interactions and foster healthier connections with those around you.",{"currentPage":78,"totalPages":79,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":80},1,4,10]