Blow the candle out, I don't need to see what my thoughts look like.
Emile ZolaRead
Did not one spend the first half of one's days in dreams of happiness and the second half in regrets and terrors?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the duality of human experience, contrasting dreams of happiness in youth with the regrets and fears that often come later in life.
Emile Zola's quote captures the essence of life's journey, suggesting that in the early stages, individuals often lose themselves in dreams and aspirations of happiness. However, as time passes, many become increasingly burdened by regrets and fears that stem from past choices, creating a poignant reflection on the bittersweet nature of existence.
Themes
LifeDreamsRegretHappinessExperience
In practice
Example use cases
During a commencement speech to inspire graduates about pursuing their dreams.
More from Emile Zola
All quotes βI believe that all is illusion and vanity outside the treasure of truths slowly accumulated, and which will never again be lost. I believe that the sum of these truths, always increasing, will at last confer on man incalculable power and peace, if not happiness. Yes, I believe in the final triumph of life.
Emile ZolaRead
A ruined man fell from her hands like a ripe fruit, to lie rotting on the ground.
Emile ZolaRead
Oh, the fools, like a lot of good little schoolboys, scared to death of anything they've been taught is wrong!
Emile ZolaRead
They dared not peer down into their own natures, down into the feverish confusion that filled their minds with a kind of dense, acrid mist.
Emile ZolaRead
If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud.
Emile ZolaRead
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Her grief was so big and wild it terrified her, like an evil beast that had erupted from under the floorboards.
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She spoke of evenings in the country making popcorn on the porch. Once this would have gladdened my heart but because her heart was not glad when she said it I knew there was nothing in it but the idea of what one should do.
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