There rise authors now and then, who seem proof against the mutability of language, because they have rooted themselves in the unchanging principles of human nature.
Washington IrvingRead
Men are always doomed to be duped, not so much by the arts of the other as by their own imagination. They are always wooing goddesses, and marrying mere mortals.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People often deceive themselves more than they are deceived by others, mistaking illusions for reality.
This quote by Washington Irving suggests that individuals frequently fall victim to their own fantasies and aspirations, leading them to pursue unattainable ideals instead of accepting the reality around them. It highlights the human tendency to romanticize possibilities, ultimately resulting in disappointment when faced with the ordinary aspects of life.
Themes
IllusionRealityAspirationsDisappointmentSelf-Deception
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the dangers of idealism, this quote can serve as a cautionary reminder.
More from Washington Irving
All quotes βThere is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.
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Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.
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The easiest thing to do, whenever you fail, is to put yourself down by blaming your lack of ability for your misfortunes.
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If I can, by a lucky chance, in these uneasy days, rub out one wrinkle from the brow of care, or beguile the heavy heart of one moment of sadness; if I can, how and then, prompt a happier view of human nature, and make my reader more in good humor with his fellow-beings and himself, surely, I shall not have written in vain.
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