Civilization is first of all a moral thing. Without truth, respect for duty, love of neighbor, and virtue, everything is destroyed. The morality of a society is alone the basis of civilization.
Henri Frederic AmielRead
Are we not all shipwrecked,...condemned to death?... However impatient our neighbours make us, however much indignation our race arouses, we are all bound together, and the companions of a chain-gang have everything to lose by mutual insults.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes shared human suffering and the importance of unity despite differences.
Henri Frederic Amiel's quote reflects on the concept of shared adversity and interconnectedness among individuals. He suggests that, despite the frustrations and indignations we may experience from one another, we are all fundamentally linked, particularly in our vulnerabilities and struggles. The metaphor of being 'shipwrecked' emphasizes the precariousness of life and the need for solidarity, as mutual insults only serve to harm those who are already suffering. Thus, it advocates for compassion and understanding over division.
Themes
UnitySufferingInterconnectednessCompassionHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about community and resilience in the face of adversity.
More from Henri Frederic Amiel
All quotes →Man never knows what he wants; he aspires to penetrate mysteries and as soon as he has, wants to re-establish them. Ignorance irritates him and knowledge cloys.
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Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence.
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Any landscape is a condition of the spirit.
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True love is that which ennobles the personality, fortifies the heart, and sanctifies the existence.
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It is by teaching that we teach ourselves, by relating that we observe, by affirming that we examine, by showing that we look, by writing that we think, by pumping that we draw water into the well.
Henri Frederic AmielRead
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