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The man who only loves beautiful things is dreaming, whereas the man who knows absolute beauty is wide awake.
Bertrand Russell
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Interpretation

What this quote means

True appreciation of beauty comes from deeper understanding, not superficial attraction.

In this quote, Bertrand Russell suggests that a superficial love for beauty is akin to dreaming, as it lacks depth and understanding. In contrast, a person who recognizes and appreciates the full essence of beauty is considered 'wide awake,' signifying a greater awareness and insight into the nature of beauty beyond mere appearances.

Themes

BeautyUnderstandingAwarenessPhilosophyAppreciation

In practice

Example use cases

This quote is perfect for a speech about art appreciation.

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St. Paul introduced an entirely novel view of marriage, that it existed primarily to prevent the sin of fornication. It is just as if one were to maintain that the sole reason for baking bread is to prevent people from stealing cake.
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Moreover, the attitude that one ought to believe such and such a proposition, independently of the question whether there is evidence in its favor, is an attitude which produces hostility to evidence and causes us to close our minds to every fact that does not suit our prejudices.
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