The further off from England the nearer is to France-_x000D_ _x000D_ Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Lewis CarrollRead
While the laughter of joy is in full harmony with our deeper life, the laughter of amusement should be kept apart from it. The danger is too great of thus learning to look at solemn things in a spirit of mockery, and to seek in them opportunities for exercising wit.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Joyful laughter enriches our deeper experiences, while amusement can trivialize serious matters.
This quote by Lewis Carroll points to the importance of distinguishing between genuine joy and mere amusement. While joy can be harmoniously integrated into our deeper emotional experiences, amusement, particularly when it involves mockery or wit, can undermine the seriousness of significant matters and lead to a lack of respect towards them. Thus, it serves as a reminder to approach solemn topics with the gravity they deserve, rather than trivializing them with humor.
Themes
LaughterJoyAmusementSeriousnessMockery
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of maintaining respect in discussions about serious issues.
More from Lewis Carroll
All quotes →To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said 'I've a sceptre in hand, I've a crown on my head. Let the Looking-Glass creatures, whatever they be, Come and dine with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and me.
Lewis CarrollRead
So she was considering in her own mind...whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up & picking the daisies.
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Once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people.
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Rule Forty-two. All persons more than a mile high to leave the court.
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Crawling at your feet,' said the Gnat (Alice drew her feet back in some alarm), `you may observe a Bread-and-Butterfly. Its wings are thin slices of Bread-and-butter, its body is a crust, and its head is a lump of sugar.' And what does IT live on?' Weak tea with cream in it.' A new difficulty came into Alice's head. `Supposing it couldn't find any?' she suggested. Then it would die, of course.' But that must happen very often,' Alice remarked thoughtfully. It always happens,' said the Gnat.
Lewis CarrollRead
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