The problem with believing in and living by a “capital-T Truth” is that it tends to be unforgiving. It demands absolutism in a world of nuance. It recasts so many valid experiences as failure.

“This Is Water”—the

metonym

as baer writes, “It might seem like your body is the problem . . . but it’s actually the museum.” There’s an exit somewhere; it’s just a matter of finding it. It’s easier said than done.

I didn’t realize that having to stay wouldn’t necessarily translate into wanting to.

because I know the possibility is always there. With it comes a short-term relief granted by the idea of a permanent one: relief at the idea of relief.

inconsistencies lest it turn out to be fraudulent. This skepticism is justifiable in a society obsessed with happiness, optimized wellness, and toxic positivity—are we living our best lives?—but it’s dangerous to create a hierarchy of happiness, and then use that hierarchy as a gauge for your wellness and safety. Put contentment through the wringer

She ping-pongs between blind faith—not only in a better future but more significantly in her ability to single-handedly manifest it—and a complete dissolution of the self when she either fails to achieve her goals or does achieve them but decides that something must be wrong with her for not feeling completely fulfilled by them.

She suspects she doesn’t want to write so much as she wants “to have written.”