To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
Aldous HuxleyRead
Now, a corpse, poor thing, is an untouchable and the process of decay is, of all pieces of bad manners, the vulgarest imaginable. For a corpse is, by definition, a person absolutely devoid of savoir vivre.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the lack of social grace in death compared to life, emphasizing the decay of a body and the absence of culture in death.
Aldous Huxley's quote suggests that a corpse, being lifeless, is devoid of the social etiquette and grace that defines a person during their life. The decay of a body serves as a stark reminder of mortality, highlighting how the absence of 'savoir vivre' or the knowledge of living well is most evident when one can no longer participate in the social world.
Themes
DeathDecaySavoir VivreEtiquetteMortality
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical discussion about the nature of life and death, this quote could illustrate the contrast between living well and the social implications of death.
More from Aldous Huxley
All quotes βFacts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
Aldous HuxleyRead
In the course of history many more people have died for their drink and their dope than have died for their religion or their country.
Aldous HuxleyRead
On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.
Aldous HuxleyRead
No man ever dared to manifest his boredom so insolently as does a Siamese tomcat when he yawns in the face of his amorously importunate wife.
Aldous HuxleyRead
The leech's kiss, the squid's embrace, The prurient ape's defiling touch: And do you like the human race? No, not much.
Aldous HuxleyRead
Similar quotes
Individualism regards man - every man - as an independent, sovereign entity who possesses an inalienable right to his own life, a right derived from his nature as a rational being. Individualism holds that a civilized society, or any form of association, cooperation or peaceful co-existence among men, can be achieved only on the basis of the recognition of individual rights - and that a group, as such, has no rights other than the individual rights of its members.
Ayn RandRead
Nirvana means to extinguish the burning fires of the Three Poisons: greed, anger, and ignorance. This can be accomplished by letting go of dissatisfaction.
Shinjo ItoRead
Spirituality is recognizing the divine light that is within us all. It doesn't belong to any particular religion; it belongs to everyone
Muhammad AliRead
Violence is fomented by the imposition of singular and belligerent identities on gullible people, championed by proficient artisans of terror.
Amartya SenRead
The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.
Albert CamusRead
The most excellent of those who perform good deeds are those who most often remember God in all situations.
Ibn Ata AllahRead