If one harbours anywhere in one's mind a nationalistic loyalty or hatred, certain facts, although in a sense known to be true, are inadmissible.
George OrwellRead
Her feelings were her own, and could not be altered from outside. It would not have occurred to her that an action which is ineffectual thereby becomes meaningless. If you loved someone, you loved him, and when you had nothing else to give, you still gave him love.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of personal feelings and the power of love, which remains unchanged regardless of external influences.
In this quote, George Orwell reflects on the nature of love and personal emotions, suggesting that true feelings are inherently personal and immune to external alteration. It conveys that love is a selfless act that persists even when one has little else to offer, highlighting the profound depth and resilience of genuine affection.
Themes
LoveFeelingsSelflessAffectionEmotion
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a romantic toast at a wedding to honor the enduring nature of love.
More from George Orwell
All quotes →The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
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Political writing in our time consists almost entirely of prefabricated phrases bolted together like the pieces of a child's Meccano set. It is the unavoidable result of self-censorship. To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox.
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Not to expose your true feelings to an adult seems to be instinctive from the age of seven or eight onwards.
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As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents.
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It is fatal to look hungry. It makes people want to kick you.
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