A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick -- a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart.
Neil GaimanRead
Call no man happy, said Shadow, until he is dead
Interpretation
What this quote means
True happiness can only be judged after a person's life has ended.
This quote suggests that assessing a person's happiness while they are alive is premature, as life is full of ups and downs. It implies that the true measure of happiness is best reflected in the entire span of a person's life, including the legacy they leave behind and how they are remembered after death.
Themes
HappinessAssessmentLifeLegacy
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophical discussion about the meaning of happiness, one could use this quote to illustrate that happiness is subjective and potentially fleeting.
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And we must beg Homer and the other poets not to be angry if we strike out these and similar passages, not because they are unpoetical, or unattractive to the popular ear, but because the greater the poetical charm in them, the less are they meet for the ears of boys and men who are meant to be free, and who should fear slavery more than death.
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By suppressing differences and peculiarities, by eliminating different civilizations and cultures, progress weakens life and favors death
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Disciples of Jesus Christ understand that compared to eternity, our existence in this mortal sphere is only “a small moment” in space and time. They know that a person’s true value has little to do with what the world holds in high esteem. They know you could pile up the accumulated currency of the entire world and it could not buy a loaf of bread in the economy of heaven.
Dieter F. UchtdorfRead