After all, damn it, what does being in love mean if you can't trust a person.
Evelyn WaughRead
It is a curious thing... that every creed promises a paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for anyone of civilized taste.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the idealized visions of paradise presented by various beliefs, suggesting they are often impractical for refined individuals.
Evelyn Waugh's quote reflects on the ironic nature of religious or ideological promises of paradise, highlighting a disconnect between these utopian visions and the reality of human desires and cultural sophistication. He suggests that what is often presented as an ideal state is, in fact, not livable for those with civilized sensibilities, provoking thought about the validity of such promises in the context of human experience.
Themes
ParadiseCivilizedCreedTasteIrony
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote during a debate on the merits of different belief systems in a philosophy class.
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Punctuality is the virtue of the bored.
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...she had regained what I thought she had lost forever, the magical sadness which had drawn me to her, the thwarted look that had seemed to say, "Surely I was made for some other purpose than this?
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That was the change in her from ten years ago; that, indeed, was her reward, this haunting, magical sadness which spoke straight to the heart and struck silence; it was the completion of her beauty.
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That's the public-school system all over. They may kick you out, but they never let you down.
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