Personal relations are the important thing for ever and ever, and not this outer life of telegrams and anger.
E. M. ForsterRead
Chess is a forcing house where the fruits of character can ripen more fully than in life
Interpretation
What this quote means
Chess reveals and cultivates one's character through its challenges.
E. M. Forster's quote suggests that the game of chess serves as a microcosm for life, where individuals are forced to confront their true character through strategic thinking and decision-making. The constraints and challenges of chess provide a unique environment that facilitates personal growth and self-discovery, often magnifying the qualities of perseverance, patience, and integrity that are essential in broader life experiences.
Themes
ChessCharacterLifeStrategyGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
Discussing the importance of character development at a motivational seminar.
More from E. M. Forster
All quotes βA poem is true if it hangs together. Information points to something else. A poem points to nothing but itself.
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One must be fond of people and trust them if one is not to make a mess of life.
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Oxford is Oxford: not a mere receptacle for youth, like Cambridge. Perhaps it wants its inmates to love it rather than to love one another.
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The fact is we can only love what we know personally. And we cannot know much. In public affairs, in the rebuilding of civilization, something less dramatic and emotional is needed, namely tolerance.
E. M. ForsterRead
One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.
E. M. ForsterRead
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