I will pause here to offer a false etymology: de-light suggests both 'of light' and 'without light.
-- Ross Gay (chapter 14)

Importance: This quote defines Ross' concept of delight as two-fold. He is writing about the traditional concept of delight as something positive or "of light" as well as an opposite concept of negative de-light that speaks to the darker aspects of life that are "without light". By defining delight in this way, Ross gives himself the freedom to explore a wider variety of topics and tones in this book as well as to explore the relationship between the positive and negative, or light and dark, in life. The idea that this is a false etymology suggests to the reader that this book is a subjective analysis of delight rather than one that it limited by the strict objectivity of linguistic conventions.

So today I’m recalling the utility, the need, of my own...
-- Ross Gay (chapter 35)