How is it possible to expect that mankind will take advice when they will not so much as take warning.
Jonathan SwiftRead
I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on human nature and the presence of wickedness without remorse.
In this quote, Jonathan Swift expresses a cynical view of humanity, indicating that he is not surprised by the existence of wickedness among people. However, he is often taken aback by the lack of shame individuals show for their wrongful actions, suggesting a deeper moral concern and critique of societal values regarding accountability and ethical behavior.
Themes
WickednessShameHuman NatureMoralityAccountability
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about ethics in a philosophy class.
More from Jonathan Swift
All quotes βWhat vexes me most is, that my female friends, who could bear me very well a dozen years ago, have now forsaken me, although I am not so old in proportion to them as I formerly was: which I can prove by arithmetic, for then I was double their age, which now I am not. Letter to Alexander Pope. 7 Feb. 1736.
Jonathan SwiftRead
This is every cook's opinion - _x000D_ no savory dish without an onion, _x000D_ but lest your kissing should be spoiled _x000D_ your onions must be fully boiled.
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The bulk of mankind is as well equipped for flying as thinking.
Jonathan SwiftRead
This single Stick, which you now behold ingloriously lying in that neglected Corner, I once knew in a flourishing State in a Forest: It was full of Sap, full of Leaves, and full of Boughs: But now, in vain does the busy Art of Man pretend to vie with Nature, by tying that withered Bundle of Twigs to its sapless Trunk: It is at best but the Reverse of what it was; a Tree turned upside down, the Branches on the Earth, and the Root in the Air.
Jonathan SwiftRead
I'm as old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth.
Jonathan SwiftRead
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