Five enemies of peace inhabit with us - avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride; if these were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace.
PetrarchRead
Gold, silver, jewels, purple garments, houses built of marble, groomed estates, pious paintings, caparisoned steeds, and other things of this kind offer a mutable and superficial pleasure; books give delight to the very marrow of one's bones. They speak to us, consult with us, and join with us in a living and intense intimacy.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the enduring joy and deep connection that books provide compared to material wealth.
In this quote, Petrarch contrasts superficial pleasures derived from material possessions with the profound satisfaction that books offer. He suggests that while tangible luxuries may bring fleeting joy, the intimacy and enlightenment found in literature provide a much deeper and lasting fulfillment, engaging our intellect and emotions in a way that enriches our very essence.
Themes
BooksPleasureIntimacyWealthEducation
In practice
Example use cases
In a graduation speech to emphasize the importance of reading.
More from Petrarch
All quotes →Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together.
PetrarchRead
To begin with myself, then, the utterances of men concerning me will differ widely, since in passing judgment almost every one is influenced not so much by truth as by preference, and good and evil report alike know no bounds.
PetrarchRead
True, we love life, not because we are used to living, but because we are used to loving. There is always some madness in love, but there is also always some reason in madness.
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I looked back at the summit of the mountain, which seemed but a cubit high in comparison with the height of human contemplation, were in not too often merged in the corruptions of the earth.
PetrarchRead
Sameness is the mother of disgust, variety the cure.
PetrarchRead
Similar quotes
I hate the idea that, when it comes to books and learning, hard is often seen as the opposite of fun. It's strange to me that we should be so quick to give up on a book or a math problem when we are so willing to grapple, for centuries if necessary, with a single level of Angry Birds.
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Mathematics is the cheapest science. Unlike physics or chemistry, it does not require any expensive equipment. All one needs for mathematics is a pencil and paper.
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If your writing doesn`t keep you up at night, it won`t keep anyone else up either".
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Who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image, but thee who destroys a good book, kills reason its self.
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There's a disease that young writers are susceptible to, which is, I will do this because I can - hubris, I suppose - without stopping to work out why.
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Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.
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