Men are said to desire women, Severian. Why do they despise the women they obtain?
Gene WolfeRead
That was when I found out that the best way in the world to make yourself feel better when you have hit bottom is to try to get somebody else to feel better. There are certain things in life that are truly worth knowing, and that is one of the big ones.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Helping others can be a powerful way to heal oneself.
In this quote, Gene Wolfe emphasizes the profound impact of altruism on personal well-being. When one is feeling low or has hit rock bottom, extending kindness and support to others can foster a sense of purpose and rejuvenation, illustrating the interconnectedness of human emotions and the healing power of compassion.
Themes
HelpingFeeling BetterAltruismCompassionSupport
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at a community service event, one might use this quote to inspire volunteerism.
More from Gene Wolfe
All quotes →All novels are fantasies. Some are more honest about it.
Gene WolfeRead
Similar quotes
Asking the proper questions is the central action of transformation. Questions are the key that causes the secret doors of the psyche to swing open.
Clarissa Pinkola EstesRead
Stupidity, outrage, vanity, cruelty, iniquity, bad faith, falsehood - we fail to see the whole array when it is facing in the same direction as we.
Jean RostandRead
True greatness is when your name is like ampere, watt, and fourier-when it's spelled with a lower case letter.
Richard HammingRead
The ignorant man never enjoys.
Swami VivekanandaRead
Better to know a few things which are good and necessary than many things which are useless and mediocre
Leo TolstoyRead
I'm simply saying that there is a way to be sane. I'm saying that you can get rid of all this insanity created by the past in you. Just by being a simple witness of your thought processes. It is simply sitting silently, witnessing the thoughts, passing before you. Just witnessing, not interfering not even judging, because the moment you judge you have lost the pure witness.
RajneeshRead