What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
Nobody could stand an eternity of Heaven.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Eternal bliss can become unbearable and monotonous over time.
George Bernard Shaw suggests that even a state of perfect happiness, like Heaven, could become tiresome if experienced for eternity. This reflects on the nature of human desires, which often thrive on variety and contrast; without challenges or change, even the most pleasurable experiences can lose their value.
Themes
HeavenEternityHappinessPhilosophyVariety
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the nature of happiness, one might quote Shaw to illustrate the limits of eternal pleasure.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes βMarriage 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!
George Bernard ShawRead
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?
George Bernard ShawRead
Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
George Bernard ShawRead
The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
George Bernard ShawRead
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