It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.
Victor HugoRead
It is from books that wise people derive consolation in the troubles of life.
Interpretation
Books provide comfort and insight to wise individuals during difficult times.
In this quote, Victor Hugo emphasizes the profound role that literature plays in the lives of wise people, suggesting that books serve as a refuge and a source of guidance during life's adversities. Through reading, individuals can find solace, wisdom, and understanding, drawing upon the experiences and thoughts of others to navigate their own challenges.
In practice
In a speech about resilience, one might quote this to inspire others to seek comfort in literature.
It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.
When two mouths, made sacred by love, draw near to each other to create, it is impossible, that above that ineffable kiss there should not be a thrill in the immense mystery of the stars.
At that moment of love, a moment when passion is absolutely silent under omnipotence of ecstasy, Marius, pure seraphic Marius, would have been more capable of visiting a woman of the streets than of raising Cosetteβs dress above the ankle. Once on a moonlit night, Cosette stopped to pick up something from the ground, her dress loosened and revealed the swelling of her breasts. Marius averted his eyes.
Thought is the work of the intellect, reverie is its self-indulgence. To substitute day-dreaming for thought is to confuse a poison with a source of nourishment.
Taste is the common sense of genius.
Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
Genius is play, and man's capacity for achieving genius is infinite, and many may achieve genius only through play.
Stressful energy arises when you think some future moment is more important than the present moment, and the doing becomes only a means to an end.
At the moment of vision, the eyes see nothing.
There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt.
Most writers tend to get worse rather than better. I'm determined to be one that gets better.
We all admire great accomplishments in the sciences, arts, and humanities - but we rarely acknowledge how much we achieve in the course of our everyday lives.
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