The Nest

by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

“Your problem is you’re worried about being everyone’s mirror and that’s not your job.”

“Everyone’s always on the hunt for a mirror. It’s basic psychology. You want to see yourself reflected in others. Others—your sister, your parents—they want to look at you and see themselves. They want you to be a flattering reflection of them—and vice-versa.

She was so much better at being alone; being alone came more naturally to her. She led a life of deliberate solitude, and if occasional loneliness crept in, she knew how

to work her way out of that particular divot. Or even better, how to sink in and absorb its particular comforts.

If you want to predict a person’s behavior, identify his or her incentives.

I loved enough to lose; I felt enough to weep.