We must never expect discretion in first love: it is accompanied by such excessive joy that unless the joy is allowed to overflow, it will choke you.
Alexandre DumasRead
The custom and fashion of today will be the awkwardness and outrage of tomorrow - so arbitrary are these transient laws.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the fleeting nature of societal norms and how what is accepted today may be seen as strange in the future.
Alexandre Dumas's quote emphasizes the idea that the fashions and customs of any given time period can seem normal and acceptable, yet with the passage of time, these same practices may become outdated or even ridiculed. This serves as a reminder of the arbitrary nature of societal standards and the inevitability of change in human behavior and thought.
Themes
SocietyNormsChangeCustomsFuture
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on fashion trends in a cultural studies class.
More from Alexandre Dumas
All quotes βThere are two ways of seeing: with the body and with the soul. The body's sight can sometimes forget, but the soul remembers forever.
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I do not often laugh, sir, as you may perceive by the air of my countenance; but nevertheless, I retain the privilege of laughing when I please.
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There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness.
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Those born to wealth, and who have the means of gratifying every wish, know not what is the real happiness of life, just as those who have been tossed on the stormy waters of the ocean on a few frail planks can alone realize the blessings of fair weather.
Alexandre DumasRead
It is the way of weakened minds to see everything through a black cloud. The soul forms its own horizons; your soul is darkened, and consequently the sky of the future appears stormy and unpromising
Alexandre DumasRead
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