Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.
Oliver GoldsmithRead
Why was this heart of mine formed with so much sensibility! Or why not my fortune adapted to its impulses! Tenderness without a capacity of relieving only makes the man who feels it more wretched than the object which sues for assistance.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote explores the pain of feeling deeply without the means to help others.
Oliver Goldsmith reflects on the sorrow that comes from possessing a sensitive heart that feels the suffering of others without the ability to alleviate that pain. He suggests that such vulnerability can lead to greater distress, as the individual becomes acutely aware of the suffering around them yet powerless to change it, creating a profound sense of wretchedness.
Themes
SensibilityTendernessSufferingHumanityEmotion
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about empathy, one might quote this to highlight the importance of compassion.
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Whatever the skill of any country may be in the sciences, it is from its excellence in polite learning alone that it must expect a character from posterity.
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Life at the greatest and best is but a froward child, that must be humored and coaxed a little till it falls asleep, and then all the care is over.
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Hope, like the gleaming taper's light,_x000D_ _x000D_ Adorns and cheers our way;_x000D_ _x000D_ And still, as darker grows the night,_x000D_ _x000D_ Emits a brighter ray.
Oliver GoldsmithRead
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