“And so we exchange privacy for intimacy. We gamble with it, hoping that by exposing ourselves, someone will find a way in. This is why the human animal will always be vulnerable: because it wants to be.”

Draft of letter to Richard Sassoon (December 1955), quoted in Joyce Carol Oates, "Raising Lady Lazarus," The New York Times (2000-11-05) http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/11/05/reviews/001105.05oatest.html
The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath (2000)
Variant: Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously close to wanting nothing.

Source: Why Not Me?

Source: Go Ask Alice

Source: A Brief History of Time

Floods and landslides: 12 dead and thousands displaced, Caritas at work http://fides.org/en/news/37551-AMERICA_CHILE_Floods_and_landslides_12_dead_and_thousands_displaced_Caritas_at_work (30 March 2015)

Buffalo Rising interview (2007)
Context: Even when someone from the lower financial caste in, say America, "makes it," then there is this other barrier of old money vs. new money, social status, respected family names vs. unsavory familial relations or even ethnic background that makes the entire journey of achievement suddenly turn sour and seemingly not have been worth the while.
My question here is why do we humans keep doing this to each other or to ourselves? Why do we think so little about the role of humanity and of kindness? In my opinion, if we believe in a higher being, there is only one God and he/she is neither you nor me. The sooner we begin this process of healing as people, all people, the sooner we can begin to live a mutual life free from innuendo, hurt, judgment and need.

The Beach House (2002) https://books.google.com/books?id=v6uo7dNROXoC&pg=PA133&lpg=PA133&dq=%E2%80%9CPrivacy+is+something+that+we+maintain+for+the+good+of+ourselves+and+others.%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=_xMbHZa8l6&sig=g9FWtKtkgvO11eTz7ffeYnuyMPE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiguMnRndfKAhVQ2mMKHc3nCxUQ6AEILjAD#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9CPrivacy%20is%20something%20that%20we%20maintain%20for%20the%20good%20of%20ourselves%20and%20others.%E2%80%9D&f=false

Source: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List