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In antiquity, a woman might be an object of worship or desire, but never of love.
Octavio Paz
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects on the historical perception of women as objects rather than beings capable of true love.

Octavio Paz highlights that in ancient times, women were often seen either as objects of worship or desire, but not as individuals worthy of genuine love. This perspective underscores the limitations placed on women's identities and roles, suggesting a need for deeper recognition of their emotional capabilities and humanity.

Themes

LoveWomenWorshipDesireIdentity

In practice

Example use cases

During an international women's day speech, one might cite this quote to discuss the historical view of women.

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Solitude lies at the lowest depth of the human condition. Man is the only being who feels himself to be alone and the only one who is searching for the Other.
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Poetry is not a genre in harmony with the modern world; its innermost nature is hostile or indifferent to the dogmas of modern times, progress and the cult of the future.
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If we are a metaphor of the universe, the human couple is the metaphor par excellence, the point of intersection of all forces and the seed of all forms. The couple is time recaptured, the return to the time before time.
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Man, even man debased by the neocapitalism and pseudosocialism of our time, is a marvelous being because he sometimes speaks. Language is the mark, the sign, not of his fall but of his original innocence. Through the Word we may regain the lost kingdom and recover powers we possessed in the far-distant past.
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