It has become necessary for me to have this woman, so as to save myself from the ridicule of being in love with her: for to what lengths will a man not be driven by thwarted desire?
Pierre Choderlos De LaclosRead
Humanity is not perfect in any fashion; no more in the case of evil than in that of good. The criminal has his virtues, just as the honest man has his weaknesses.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that both good and evil are complex and nuanced, showcasing the duality of human nature.
In this quote by Pierre Choderlos De Laclos, it is emphasized that human beings are inherently imperfect, embodying both virtues and vices. The idea is that individuals labeled as 'criminals' are not devoid of positive traits, just as those perceived as 'honest' are not without flaws. This invites a deeper understanding of moral ambiguity and the complexities of human character.
Themes
HumanityImperfectionGoodEvilComplexity
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about morality, this quote can illustrate the nuanced views on good and bad behavior.
More from Pierre Choderlos De Laclos
All quotes →Cast between the extremes of happiness and misfortune, uncertainty is a cruel torment.
Pierre Choderlos De LaclosRead
I am astonished at the pleasure one experiences in doing good; and I should be tempted to believe that what we call virtuous people have not so much merit as they lead us to suppose.
Pierre Choderlos De LaclosRead
It was there, in particular, that I confirmed the truth that love, which we cry up as the source of our pleasures, is nothing more than an excuse for them.
Pierre Choderlos De LaclosRead
...it is not for the illusion of a moment to govern the choice of a lifetime.
Pierre Choderlos De LaclosRead
How characteristic of your perverse heart that longs only for what happens to be out of reach.
Pierre Choderlos De LaclosRead
Similar quotes
If Christians should vote their duty to God at the polls, they would carry every election, and do it with ease. They would elect every clean candidate in the United States, and defeat every soiled one. Their prodigious power would be quickly realized and recognized, and afterward there would be no unclean candidates upon any ticket, and graft would cease.
Mark TwainRead
There is an inherent tendency in all governmental power to recognize no restraints on its operation and to extend the sphere of its dominion as much as possible. To control everything, to leave no room for anything to happen of its own accord without the interference of the authorities--th is is the goal for which every ruler secretly strives.
Ludwig Von MisesRead
Of all mad faiths maddest is the faith that we can get rid of faith.
Harry Emerson FosdickRead
...no matter how complex or affluent, human societies are nothing but subsystems of the biosphere, the Earth's thin veneer of life, which is ultimately run by bacteria, fungi and green plants.
Vaclav SmilRead
I am honorary President of the American Humanist Society, having succeeded the late, great science fiction writer Isaac Asimov in that utterly functionless capacity. We Humanists behave as well as we can, without any rewards or punishments in an Afterlife.
Kurt VonnegutRead
If our condition were truly happy, we would not seek diversion from it in order to make ourselves happy.
Blaise PascalRead