# How to Save Your Own Life - Author: [Erica Jong](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong.md) - Quotes: 29 - Book page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life ## Quotes > Friends love misery... our misery is what endears us to our friends. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/friends-love-misery.md) > It takes a spasm of love to write a poem. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/it-takes-a-spasm.md) Topics: [writing](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/writing.md), [poetry](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/poetry.md) > Loving someone is a loss of freedom -- but one doesn't think of it as loss because one gains so much else. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/loving-someone-is-a-loss.md) Topics: [freedom](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/freedom.md), [love](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/love.md) > ...the ocean kept falling into itself, gathering itself up, and falling into itself again. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/the-ocean-kept.md) > And what if I don't want forgiveness? [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/and-what-if-i-dont.md) > Is perception equivalent to existence? [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/is-perception-equivalent.md) > Love is love, but marriage is an investment. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/love-is-love.md) Topics: [marriage](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/marriage.md) > Unhappiness is our element. We come to believe we can't function without it. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/unhappiness-is-our.md) > What was the point of spending your life with someone you were always looking for ways to deceive? [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/what-was-the.md) Topics: [relationships](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/relationships.md), [lies](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/lies.md) > ...jealousy makes the prick grow harder. And the cunt wetter. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/jealousy-makes-the.md) Topics: [passion](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/passion.md) > If you apologize for something that isn't your fault in the first place, you, in effect, confirm their belief that it is your fault. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/if-you-apologize.md) > I only know that in our choice of friends and lovers and teachers who will change our lives, we are guided by forces which have nothing to do with the rationalizations we give. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/i-only-know.md) Topics: [relationships](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/relationships.md), [choices](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/choices.md) > Jealousy is all the fun you think they had. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/jealousy-is-all.md) > There is a rhythm to the ending... [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/there-is-a-rhythm.md) > My body was flesh, which was only one step removed from shit, from clay, from dust. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/my-body-was.md) > They all cheat sooner or later. You might as well have one who isn't a bore the rest of the time. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/they-all-cheat.md) > Photographs... are the most curious indicators of reality. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/photographs-are-the.md) > Humor is a survival tool. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/humor-is-a-survival.md) Topics: [humor](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/humor.md) > The future is merely a shadow which blocks out the joys of the present and emphasizes the miseries of the past. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/the-future-is-merely.md) Topics: [the future](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/the-future.md) > Having a baby with him meant marrying that face forever. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/having-a-baby.md) Topics: [children](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/children.md), [marriage](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/marriage.md) > The worst thing about jealousy is how low it makes you reach. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/the-worst-thing.md) > Inevitably, I drank too much, talked too much, smiled too hard, swallowed back too much bile. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/inevitably-i-drank.md) > Many people today believe that cynicism requires courage. Actually, cynicism is the height of cowardice. It is innocence and open-heartedness that requires the true courage -- however often we are hurt as a result of it. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/many-people-today.md) Topics: [courage](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/courage.md) > How could one create life with someone who represented death? [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/how-could-one.md) Topics: [death](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/death.md), [life](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/life.md) > I convinced myself that sadness and compromise were the ways of the world... [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/i-convinced-myself.md) > Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't... [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/advice-is-what.md) Topics: [truth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/truth.md) > Without sex it would be so easy to choose appropriate people to live with. Sex was the joker in an otherwise rational deck. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/without-sex-it-would.md) Topics: [passion](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/passion.md) > All people believe their suffering is greater than others. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/all-people-believe.md) Topics: [suffering](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/suffering.md) > Keeping a journal implies hope. [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/erica-jong/how-to-save-your-own-life/keeping-a-journal.md) Topics: [hope](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/hope.md)