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Quote by Paula McLain

Work

When the Stars Go Dark

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Author

Paula McLain
Paula McLain

Paula McLain is an American author known for her poignant emotional descriptions and profound character portrayals. Her works often focus on female characters, exploring their lives, love, and growth. Born in 1965, McLain has worked as a teacher and editor before becoming a writer. Her works, including 'When Breath Becomes Air' and 'Love in the Time of Cholera', delve into the lives of women, examining their experiences, relationships, and personal growth. more

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“...it’s really the broken among us that can contribute a lot to our quest for full, equal justice. I mean, when you’re broken, you actually, you know something about what it means to be human. You know something about grace. You learn something about mercy. You learn something about forgiveness. It’s the broken among us that can teach us some things. And knowing that you don’t have to be perfect and complete gives you a way of moving through challenge that would be hard if you think that that’s not something that’s possible.”

“This longing to commit a madness stays with us throughout our lives. Who has not, when standing with someone by an abyss or high up on a tower, had a sudden impulse to push the other over? And how is it that we hurt those we love although we know that remorse will follow? Our whole being is nothing but against the dark forces within ourselves. To live is to war with trolls in heart and soul. To write is to sit in judgement on oneself.”

“Often, learning to speak out about racism and calling other people out on their racist behaviors is relatively easy. What is harder, however, is learning to be accountable for our own behavior and being compassionate with other people when they make mistakes and missteps. It is easy to cancel people. It's far harder to be canceled and to make space for people who have caused harm to change their behavior.”

“Accountability and cancellation are not the same thing. ... Cancel culture does not leave space for people to make mistakes, disagree, change, and transform their behavior. It simply asks that they be canceled, as if they never existed. While canceling someone may feel good or may feel like a form of justice, it leaves us with an uncompassionate world where change can never happen. ... Accountability is not about blame, shame, or punishment, toward ourselves or others. It's about taking ownership of and responsibility for our actions and the impact of our actions and asking others to do the same for themselves too. ... Cancel culture cancels the person. Accountability culture asks the person to be accountable for their behaviors.”