One can imagine the look the two lovers exchanged; it was like a flame, for virtuous lovers have not a shred of hypocrisy.
Honore De BalzacRead
The man who enters his wife's dressing room is either a philosopher or a fool.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that a man who enters his wife's dressing room is either seeking deep understanding or is being foolish.
Honore De Balzac's quote reflects the complex dynamics of relationships and curiosity in marriage. It highlights that a man entering a private space traditionally reserved for his wife may either be probing deeper into the nature of intimacy and personal connection—akin to a philosopher—or displaying foolishness by disregarding boundaries, thus portraying a dual nature of curiosity and respect within marital relationships.
Themes
MarriageCuriosityIntimacyPhilosophyRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used during a speech about the importance of respect in relationships.
More from Honore De Balzac
All quotes →Loyalty in time of need is possibly one of the noblest of victories a courtier can win over himself.
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Marriage must incessantly contend with a monster that devours everything: familiarity.
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Who is to decide which is the grimmer sight: withered hearts, or empty skulls?
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However gross a man may be, the minute he expresses a strong and genuine affection, some inner secretion alters his features, animates his gestures, and colors his voice. The stupidest man will often, under the stress of passion, achieve heights of eloquence, in thought if not in language, and seem to move in some luminous sphere. Goriot's voice and gesture had at this moment the power of communication that characterizes the great actor. Are not our finer feelings the poems of the human will?
Honore De BalzacRead
Love is a religion, and its rituals cost more than those of other religions. It goes by quickly and, like a street urchin, it likes to mark its passage by a trail of devastation.
Honore De BalzacRead
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