Human affairs inspire in noble hearts only two feelings-admiration or pity.
Anatole FranceRead
Innocence most often is a good fortune and not a virtue.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Innocence can be viewed as a fortunate state rather than a moral quality.
Anatole France suggests that innocence, often regarded as a virtue, may simply be a matter of luck rather than an inherent goodness. This perspective challenges the commonly held belief that innocence equates to moral superiority, implying that sometimes it is merely a favorable circumstance that one is unaware of the complexities and difficulties of life.
Themes
InnocenceVirtueFortuneWisdomLife
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on morality, one could use this quote to highlight the role of circumstance in shaping one's character.
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In its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread.
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Justice is the means by which established injustices are sanctioned
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There is a certain impertinence in allowing oneself to be burned for an opinion.
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Lovers who love truly do not write down their happiness.
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