It is so far from being natural for a man and woman to live in a state of marriage, that we find all the motives which they have for remaining in that connection, and the restraints which civilised society imposes to prevent separation, are hardly sufficient to keep them together.
Interpretation
Marriage is not a natural state for humans, and societal pressures often hold couples together despite their differences.
This quote by Samuel Johnson reflects on the complexities of marriage, suggesting that it is not an inherent or natural state for individuals. Instead, he highlights that the numerous motivations to remain married, along with societal constraints, are often insufficient to maintain a lasting bond between a man and woman, indicating that the institution of marriage may require more than mere commitment to endure.
In practice
During a workshop on relationship dynamics, this quote can illustrate the challenges of marriage.
To be of no church is dangerous. Religion, of which the rewards are distant, and which is animated only by faith and hope, will glide by degrees out of the mind unless it be invigorated and reimpressed by external ordinances, by stated calls to worship, and the salutary influence of example.
He that reads and grows no wiser seldom suspects his own deficiency, but complains of hard words and obscure sentences, and asks why books are written which cannot be understood.
To let friendship die away by negligence and silence is certainly not wise. It is voluntarily to throw away one of the greatest comforts of the weary pilgrimage.
Fly-fishing may be a very pleasant amusement; but angling or float fishing I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other.
When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.
A fishing rod is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool at the other.
If people could see me the way I see myself - if they could live in my memories - would anyone love me?
If you want to have the kind of relationship that your heart yearns for, you have to create it. You can't depend on somebody else creating it for you.
It is hard, if not impossible, to snub a beautiful woman - they remain beautiful and the snub recoils.
Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.
Bullying, to me, starts very small around the kindergarten age where the first thing we learn is to call each other names. Something so small can be so long lasting in someone's life.
Squeeze marriage as much as you like, you will never extract anything from it but fun for bachelors and boredom for husbands.
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