Our business in life is not to succeed, but to continue to fail in good spirits.
My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the struggle of managing inner demons and the courage it takes to confront them.
Robert Louis Stevenson's quote speaks to the internal battles we all face, particularly the hidden struggles and darker aspects of our psyche. By describing his 'devil' as having been 'caged' and then emerging 'roaring', Stevenson illustrates the powerful forces of fear, temptation, or anger that, when suppressed for too long, can overwhelm us and demand to be acknowledged and faced head-on. This line suggests that confronting our fears is a vital part of personal growth and authenticity.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a motivational speech about facing personal challenges.
More from Robert Louis Stevenson
All quotes βLike a bird singing in the rain, let grateful memories survive in time of sorrow.
That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much.
His past was fairly blameless; few men could read the rolls of their life with less apprehension; yet he was humbled to the dust by the many ill things he had done, and raised up again into sober and fearful gratitude by the many he had come so near to doing, yet avoided.
The habit of being happy enables one to be freed, or largely freed, from the domination of outward conditions.
It is the history of our kindnesses that alone make this world tolerable. If it were not for that, for the effect of kind words, kind looks, kind letters . . . I should be inclined to think our life a practical jest in the worst possible spirit.
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If we are indeed contending for truth and righteousness, let us not tarry till we have talent, or wealth, or any other form of visible power at our disposal; but with such stones as we find in the brook, and with our own usual sling, let us run to meet the enemy.