The generality of virtuous women are like hidden treasures, they are safe only because nobody has sought after them.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
Neither the sun nor death can be looked at steadily.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that both life and death are profound and often overwhelming concepts that can be difficult to confront directly.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld's quote highlights the idea that the sun and death represent two extremes in human experience. While the sun embodies the brightness and vitality of life, death signifies the inevitable end that everyone must face. The inability to look steadily at either suggests a universal truth about the discomfort and complexity of these concepts, prompting reflection on our relationship with existence and mortality.
Themes
LifeDeathPhilosophyMortalityExistence
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on existentialism, one might quote, 'Neither the sun nor death can be looked at steadily' to provoke thought about the nature of life.
More from Francois De La Rochefoucauld
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Some counterfeits reproduce so very well the truth that it would be a flaw of judgment not to be deceived by them.
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Conceit causes more conversation than wit.
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The defects and faults of the mind are like wounds in the body; after all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there will be a scar left behind, and they are in continual danger of breaking the skin and bursting out again.
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To understand matters rightly we should understand their details; and as that knowledge is almost infinite, our knowledge is always superficial and imperfect.
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