QuoteProject
Liquor is the chloroform which enables the poor man to endure the painful operation of living.
George Bernard Shaw
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that alcohol serves as a temporary escape for those struggling in life.

George Bernard Shaw's quote highlights the role of alcohol as a coping mechanism for individuals facing the harsh realities of life, particularly for the less fortunate. By comparing liquor to chloroform, he implies that while it may numb pain and provide relief, it is ultimately a superficial solution to deeper issues that require more comprehensive address.

Themes

AlcoholCopingLifePainEscape

In practice

Example use cases

During a toast at a gathering, one might say this quote to reflect on life's challenges.

More from George Bernard Shaw

What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
Marriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
George Bernard ShawRead
Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
George Bernard ShawRead
Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
George Bernard ShawRead
Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
George Bernard ShawRead
The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
George Bernard ShawRead

Similar quotes

Don't be so fast, you're all you've got.
Rita DoveRead
Youth is full of sport, age's breath is short; youth is nimble, age is lame; Youth is hot and bold, age is weak and cold; Youth is wild, and age is tame.
William ShakespeareRead
So here's to the girls on the go_x000D_ Everybody tries._x000D_ Look into their eyes,_x000D_ And you'll see what they know:_x000D_ Everybody dies._x000D_ A toast to that invincible bunch,_x000D_ The dinosaurs surviving the crunch._x000D_ Let's hear it for the ladies who lunch_x000D_ Everybody rise!
Stephen SondheimRead
A sip of wine, a cigarette, And then it’s time to go. I tidied up the kitchenette; I tuned the old banjo. I’m wanted at the traffic-jam. They’re saving me a seat.
Leonard CohenRead
The mouth was wide open and ripped at the corners, as though she had choked a little in giving up the tremendous vitality she had stored so long.
F. Scott FitzgeraldRead
When you're going through something, whether it's a wonderful thing like having a child or a sad thing like losing somebody, you often feel like 'Oh my God, I'm so overwhelmed; I'm dealing with this huge thing on my own.' In fact, poetry's a nice reminder that, no, everybody goes through it. These are universal experiences.
Caroline KennedyRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.