It is astonishing how much more people are interested in lengthening life than improving it.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
Nothing is more durable than the dynasty of Doubt; for he reigns in the hearts of all his people, but gives satisfaction to none of them, and yet he is the only despot who can never die, while any of his subjects live.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Doubt persists in the minds of everyone and is a powerful force that provides no real comfort or resolution.
This quote illustrates the pervasive nature of doubt within human experience, portraying it as an unyielding ruler that lingers in the hearts of people. It reflects how doubt can overshadow certainty and satisfaction, creating a sense of unrest that is inevitable as long as one is alive, emphasizing that while doubt can dominate our thoughts and emotions, it ultimately leads to dissatisfaction and turmoil.
Themes
DoubtHuman ExperienceSatisfactionKnowledgeUncertainty
In practice
Example use cases
Discussing the challenges of making a big life decision with friends.
More from Charles Caleb Colton
All quotes →The benevolent have the advantage of the envious, even in this present life; for the envious man is tormented not only by all the ill that befalls himself, but by all the good that happens to another; whereas the benevolent man is the better prepared to bear his own calamities unruffled, from the complacency and serenity he has secured from contemplating the prosperity of all around him.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
Happiness, that grand mistress of the ceremonies in the dance of life, impels us through all its mazes and meanderings, but leads none of us by the same route.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
Our minds are as different as our faces. We are all traveling to one destination: happiness, but few are going by the same road.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
There are three kinds of praise, that which we yield, that which we lend, and that which we pay. We yield it to the powerful from fear, we lend it to the weak from interest, and we pay it to the deserving from gratitude.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
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