Quote by Ernest Hemingway
When you have two people who love each other, are happy and gay and really good work is being done by one or both of them, people are drawn to them as surely as migrating birds are drawn at night to a powerful beacon. If the two people were as solidly constructed as the beacon there would be little damage except to the birds. Those who attract people by their happiness and their performance are usually inexperienced. They do not know how not to be overrun and how to go away. They do not always learn about the good, the attractive, the charming, the soon-beloved, the generous, the understanding rich who have no bad qualities and who give each day the quality of a festival and who, when they have passed and taken the nourishment they needed, leave everything deader than the roots of any grass Attila's horses' hooves have ever scoured.
Summary
This quote suggests that when two individuals who love each other are both actively engaged in meaningful work and are genuinely happy, they become a source of attraction for others. The comparison to migrating birds emphasizes the strong force that draws people towards such individuals. However, if both parties involved fail to establish strong boundaries and knowledge about self-preservation, they may allow themselves to be overwhelmed. The quote also highlights the naivety of those who unintentionally draw people towards them through their happiness and achievements. In contrast, it mentions those rare individuals who possess alluring qualities, radiate positivity, and leave a lasting impact even after they have moved on, making everything seem lifeless in comparison.
