I pay very little regard...to what any young person says on the subject of marriage. If they profess a disinclination for it, I only set it down that they have not yet seen the right person.
Jane AustenRead
How horrible it is to have so many people killed! And what a blessing that one cares for none of them!
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the horror of loss and indifference towards the suffering of others.
In this quote, Jane Austen expresses a stark contradiction between the tragedy of many deaths and the paradoxical relief that comes from not caring about those who have perished. It provokes thought about human emotions and the distance we might maintain from the tragedies occurring around us, suggesting that this emotional detachment, while perhaps a defense mechanism, can also be viewed as a blessing.
Themes
DeathIndifferenceLossSufferingEmpathyBlessing
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethics in warfare, this quote can illustrate the emotional detachment some feel towards casualties.
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He certainly is very agreeable, and I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person.
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You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever.
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She hoped to be wise and reasonable in time; but alas! Alas! She must confess to herself that she was not wise yet.
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