I always do the first line well, but I have trouble doing the others.
MoliereRead
Esteem must be founded on some sort of preference. Bestow it on everybody and it ceases to have any meaning at all.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Esteem gains value through selectivity; universal admiration dilutes its significance.
Moliere's quote suggests that esteem or respect holds true value only when it is reserved for certain individuals based on preference and merit. When esteem is indiscriminately given to everyone without discernment, it loses its meaning and impact, as it no longer signifies anything special or noteworthy.
Themes
EsteemRespectValuePreferencesMeaning
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal value and self-worth.
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Betrayed and wronged in everything, I’ll flee this bitter world where vice is king, And seek some spot unpeopled and apart Where I’ll be free to have an honest heart. - Molière, The Misanthrope
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Oh, I may be devout, but I am human all the same.
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Hypocrisy is a fashionable vice, and all fashionable vices pass for virtue.
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