Overall, books and art were a safer escape from reality than sleep.
You can’t go through life striking out at people who hurt or scare you. All that does is show them that you’re weak. It tells them that they’ve wounded you, and a strong woman never shows her wounds unless it serves a purpose.
Beautiful things should not be kept behind glass, they should be used. Just as beautiful women should live fully and not let herself turn into a hothouse flower, pampered and useless.
Keep listening. With open ears, you will be one of the few who learn.