I am truly horrified by modern man. Such absence of feeling, such narrowness of outlook, such lack of passion and information, such feebleness of thought.
Alexander HerzenRead
Every man who has lived for fifty years has buried a whole world or even two; he has grown used to its disappearance and accustomed to the new scenery of another act: but suddenly the names and faces of a time long dead appear more and more often on his way, calling up series of shades and pictures kept somewhere, "just in case," in the endless catacombs of the memory, making him smile or sigh, and sometimes almost weep.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on how a person's life experiences and memories shape their emotional responses to the past.
In this quote, Alexander Herzen emphasizes the passage of time and the way it impacts human memory and emotions. As people age and accumulate experiences, they possess a deep reservoir of memories, often evoking nostalgia and reflection. The sudden recollection of people and events from one's past can trigger a spectrum of emotions, from joy to sorrow, illustrating how our past continues to influence our present lives.
Themes
MemoryNostalgiaPastEmotionExperience
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech reflecting on a lifetime of experiences, one could quote this to illustrate the depth of memories we accumulate.
More from Alexander Herzen
All quotes →I believe in nothing here, except a handful of people, a few ideas, and the fact that one cannot arrest movement.
Alexander HerzenRead
Unaware of the absurdity of it, we introduce our own petty household rules into the economy of the universe for which the life of generations, peoples, of entire planets, has no importance in relation to the general development.
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False gods must be repudiated, but that is not all: The reasons for their existence must be sought beneath their masks.
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History is the autobiography of a madman.
Alexander HerzenRead
There is nothing in the world more stubborn than a corpse: you can hit it, you can knock it to pieces, but you cannot convince it.
Alexander HerzenRead
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