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Music is the brandy of the damned.
George Bernard Shaw
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Music serves as a powerful escape for those who feel lost or troubled.

George Bernard Shaw suggests that music is a potent and intoxicating experience that can resonate deeply with those who feel disconnected from society. By referring to it as 'the brandy of the damned,' he implies that music can provide solace and a sense of belonging to those struggling with their inner demons, much like how brandy serves to numb and provide temporary relief from pain.

Themes

MusicEscapeArtSolaceIntoxication

In practice

Example use cases

During a speech about coping mechanisms, one might quote Shaw to highlight the healing power of music.

More from George Bernard Shaw

What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
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Marriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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