All charming people have something to conceal, usually their total dependence on the appreciation of others.
Cyril ConnollyRead
There is immunity in reading, immunity in formal society, in office routine, in the company of old friends and in the giving of officious help to strangers, but there is no sanctuary in one bed from the memory of another. The past with its anguish will break through every defense-line of custom and habit; we must sleep and therefore we must dream.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the power of memories and dreams, suggesting that while we may seek refuge in various aspects of life, our past cannot be escaped.
Cyril Connolly's quote delves into the idea that while we find solace and distraction in reading, social interactions, work routines, and helping others, true escape from our memories is impossible. The imagery of lying in bed, a place typically associated with rest and refuge, starkly contrasts with the relentless intrusions of past sorrows and experiences. Ultimately, it conveys the notion that dreams serve as a necessary outlet for these unresolved sentiments, emphasizing the inescapable link between our past and our subconscious.
Themes
MemoryPastDreamsEscapeSocietyAnguish
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about mental health, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of addressing past trauma.
More from Cyril Connolly
All quotes →When I contemplate the accumulation of guilt and remorse which, like a garbage-can, I carry through life, and which is fed not only by the lightest action but by the most harmless pleasure, I feel Man to be of all living things the most biologically incompetent and ill-organized. Why has he acquired a seventy years life-span only to poison it incurably by the mere being of himself? Why has he thrown Conscience, like a dead rat, to putrefy in the well?
Cyril ConnollyRead
A lazy person, whatever the talents with which he set out, will have condemned himself to second-hand thoughts and to second-rate friends.
Cyril ConnollyRead
The artist is a member of the leisured classes who cannot pay for his leisure.
Cyril ConnollyRead
We are all serving a life sentence in the dungeon of the self.
Cyril ConnollyRead
Imprisoned in every fat man a thin man is wildly signaling to be let out.
Cyril ConnollyRead
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