QuoteProject
O mischief, thou art swift to enter in the thoughts of desperate men!
William Shakespeare
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote conveys how the thoughts of desperate individuals can quickly lead to mischief and trouble.

In this quote, Shakespeare reflects on the nature of desperation and how it can cloud judgment, leading individuals toward reckless and harmful actions. When people are in desperate situations, their minds may turn to mischievous or ill-conceived plans as a way to cope or escape their circumstances, illustrating the dangers of despair and impulsive thinking.

Themes

DesperationMischiefThoughtsDangerTrouble

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a discussion about the effects of stress on decision-making.

More from William Shakespeare

As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
Love bears it out even to the edge of doom.
William ShakespeareRead
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
William ShakespeareRead
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
William ShakespeareRead
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
William ShakespeareRead
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
William ShakespeareRead

Similar quotes

Would that death were like this. Would that one would sleep and sleep and sleep forever.
Anne RiceRead
Every satisfaction he attains lays the seeds of some new desire, so that there is no end to the wishes of each individual will.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
The deceitfulness of the heart of man appears in no one thing so much as this of spiritual pride and self-righteousness. The subtlety of Satan appears in its height, in his managing persons with respect to this sin. And perhaps one reason may be that here he has most experience; he knows the way of its coming in; he is acquainted with the secret springs of it: it was his own sin. Experience gives vast advantage in leading souls, either in good or evil.
Jonathan EdwardsRead
A person may be greedy, envious, cowardly, cold, ungenerous, unkind, vain, or conceited, but behave perfectly by a monumental act of the will.
Thomas NagelRead
The story of my life is about back entrances, side doors, secret elevators and other ways of getting in and out of places so that people won't bother me.
Greta GarboRead
Wine is the most civilized thing in the world.
Ernest HemingwayRead

A little wisdom, now and then

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