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
I have a great mind to believe in Christianity for the mere pleasure of fancying I may be damned.
Interpretation
Byron expresses a complex relationship with faith and damnation, suggesting that the concept of being damned can be appealing in itself.
In this quote, Lord Byron reflects on the tension between belief and disbelief, highlighting how the very notion of potential damnation can provide a certain thrill or allure. It underscores the paradox of faith, where even the idea of being condemned carries a form of intrigue, revealing the complexity of human psychology towards religion and existential thought.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about the nature of belief and its psychological implications.
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.
There must be some kind of way out of here,' said the joker to the thief.
If there is any God, there is only one way to please him, and that is by a conscientious discharge of your obligations to your fellow men.
Suffering is part of the human condition, and it comes to us all. The key is how we react to it, either turning away from God in anger and bitterness or growing closer to Him in trust and confidence.
Government seems to operate on the principle that if even one individual is incapable of using his freedom competently, no one can be allowed to be free.
It is an odd paradox that a society, which can now speak openly and unabashedly about topics that were once unspeakable, still remains largely silent when it comes to mental illness.
Today the insatiable quest for profit promotes the new slavery. In bewildering ways, the new is more pernicious than the old, for the New American Slave is told he is free, and he clings to that myth as if his life depended upon it, a suspicion that cannot be totally ignored.
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