The comic spirit is given to us in order that we may analyze, weigh, and clarify things in us which nettle us, or which we are outgrowing, or trying to reshape
Thornton WilderRead
There is one regard in which bullies show real perception when compared with their victims; it is their silent good-natured pleasure of the moment.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Bullies may find momentary joy in their actions, which reflects a deeper understanding compared to their victims.
This quote by Thornton Wilder highlights the paradoxical nature of bullying, suggesting that while bullies inflict pain on their victims, they occasionally derive a fleeting sense of pleasure from their actions. This perception points to a contrast between the bullying behavior and the emotional suffering of the victim, indicating that bullies possess a certain awareness of their impact on others, even if it manifests as enjoyment in the moment.
Themes
BullyingPerceptionPleasureVictimPsychology
In practice
Example use cases
Discussing the dynamics of power in a leadership seminar.
More from Thornton Wilder
All quotes →A man looks pretty small at a wedding, George. All those good women standing shoulder to shoulder, making sure that the knot's tied in a mighty public way.
Thornton WilderRead
Good-by, Good-by, world. Good-by, Grover's Corners... Mama and Papa. Good-by to clocks ticking... and Mama's sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths...and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you.
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When you're safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you're having an adventure you wish you were safe at home.
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Many great writers have been extraordinarily awkward in daily exchange, but the greatest give the impression that their style was nursed by the closest attention to colloquial speech.
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I want you to try and remember what it was like to have been very young. And particularly the days when you were first in love; when you were like a person sleepwalking, and you didn’t quite see the street you were in, and didn’t quite hear everything that was said to you. You’re just a little bit crazy. Will you remember that, please?
Thornton WilderRead
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The unpredictable and the predetermined unfold together to make everything the way it is.
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