Life never presents us with anything which may not be looked upon as a fresh starting point, no less than as a termination.
Andre GideRead
Old hands soil, it seems, whatever they caress, but they too have their beauty when they are joined in prayer. Young hands were made for caresses and the sheathing of love. It is a pity to make them join too soon.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the beauty and impermanence of youth and love, contrasting it with the burdens of experience.
In this quote, Andre Gide explores the idea that while 'old hands' may tarnish or complicate whatever they touch due to life's experiences, they possess a unique beauty, especially when engaged in prayer. Meanwhile, 'young hands' symbolize innocence and the purity of affection, suggesting that there is value in allowing youth to embrace love and tenderness without the weight of life's hardships too early. The quote advocates for preserving the innocence of youth for as long as possible, rather than rushing them into the complexities of adult emotional experiences.
Themes
YouthLoveBeautyExperienceInnocencePrayer
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a discussion on the value of youthful love in a romantic setting.
More from Andre Gide
All quotes →Do not do what someone else could do as well as you. Do not say, do not write what someone else could say, could write as well as you. Care for nothing in yourself but what you feel exists nowhere else. And, out of yourself create, impatiently or patiently, the most irreplaceable of beings.
Andre GideRead
Through fear of resembling one another, through horror of having to submit, through uncertainty as well, through skepticism and complexity, there is a multitude of individual little beliefs for the triumph of strange little individuals.
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It is the special quality of love not to be able to remain stationary, to be obliged to increase under pain of diminishing.
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It is with noble sentiments that bad literature gets written.
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I intend to bring you strength, joy, courage, perspicacity, defiance.
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