To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
Aldous HuxleyRead
The most distressing thing that can happen to a prophet is to be proved wrong. The next most distressing thing is to be proved right.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A prophet faces distress in both being wrong and being right, highlighting the burdens of truth and foresight.
This quote by Aldous Huxley suggests that a prophet, or someone who predicts the future, experiences great distress regardless of the outcome of their predictions. If proven wrong, they face the shame of failure, and if proven right, they bear the heavy weight of having foretold a troubling truth, underscoring the emotional toll associated with insight and foresight.
Themes
DistressTruthForesightProphetBurden
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the responsibilities of leaders, one might reference this quote to illustrate the pressure they face.
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
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Take comfort, and recollect however little you and I may know, God knows; He knows Himself and you and me and all things; and His mercy is over all His works.
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Say I feel all sad and self-indulgent, then get stung by a wasp, my misery feels quite abstract and I long just to be in spiritual pain once more - 'damn you tiny assassin, clad in yellow and black, how I crave my former innocence where melancholy was my only trial'.
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