But what is Hope? Nothing but the paint on the face of Existence; the least touch of truth rubs it off, and then we see what a hollow-cheeked harlot we have got hold of.
Lord ByronRead
So for a good old-gentlemanly vice, I think I must take up with avarice.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that embracing greed can be seen as a morally questionable but common trait among people.
In this quote, Lord Byron reflects on the notion of avarice, characterizing it as a vice that is often indulged in by people, especially those in comfortable or privileged positions. He implies that this weakness is somewhat acceptable in a societal context, thus questioning the morality surrounding personal desires and the pursuit of wealth while acknowledging that such traits are part of human nature.
In practice
In a discussion on the moral implications of wealth accumulation, one could use this quote to highlight the accepted nature of greed.
But what is Hope? Nothing but the paint on the face of Existence; the least touch of truth rubs it off, and then we see what a hollow-cheeked harlot we have got hold of.
It is the lava of the imagination whose eruption prevents an earthquake.
For what were all these country patriots born? To hunt, and vote, and raise the price of corn?
Absence - that common cure of love.
Her great merit is finding out mine; there is nothing so amiable as discernment.
But words are things, and a small drop of ink, Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.
Volumes can be and have been written about the issue of freedom versus dictatorship, but, in essence, it comes down to a single question: do you consider it moral to treat men as sacrificial animals and to rule them by physical force?
Human nature is not black and white but black and grey.
To destroy guide-boards that point in the wrong direction . . . to drive the fiend of fear from the mind . . . is the task of the Freethinker.
We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins.
Each society is a hero system which promises victory over evil and death.
People who have no weaknesses are terrible; there is no way of taking advantage of them.
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