We ought not to extract pernicious honey from poison blossoms of misrepresentation and mendacious half-truth, to pamper the course appetite of bigotry and self-love.
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeRead
He saw a lawyer killing a viper on a dunghill hard by his own stable; And the Devil smiled, for it put him in mind of Cain and his brother Abel.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the idea of sin and moral implications of violence, drawing parallels to biblical stories.
In this quote, Coleridge juxtaposes the act of a lawyer killing a snake near his stable with the biblical tale of Cain and Abel, suggesting that even seemingly mundane acts can have deep moral ramifications. The Devil smiling indicates that such evil deeds remind him of foundational stories of sin and betrayal, highlighting the complexity of human morality and the darker aspects of human nature.
Themes
MoralitySinViolenceBetrayalCainAbelEvil
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about ethics, this quote serves as a reminder of the consequences of our actions.
More from Samuel Taylor Coleridge
All quotes →Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
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And all who heard should see them there, And all should cry, Beware! Beware! His flashing eyes, his floating hair! Weave a circle round him thrice, And close your eyes with holy dread, For he on honey-dew hath fed, And drunk the milk of Paradise.
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Often do the spirits stride on before the event; and in today already walks tomorrow.
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Mr. Lyell's system of geology is just half the truth, and no more. He affirms a great deal that is true, and he denies a great deal which is equally true; which is the general characteristic of all systems not embracing the whole truth.
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To believe and to understand are not diverse things, but the same things in different periods of growth.
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeRead
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