It is in books, poems, paintings which often give us the confidence to take seriously feelings in ourselves that we might otherwise never have thought to acknowledge.
Alain De BottonRead
One's doing well if age improves even slightly one's capacity to hold on to that vital truism: "This too shall pass.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the transient nature of life, highlighting that both good and bad times will eventually change.
Alain De Botton's quote suggests that maturity comes with the understanding that all experiences, whether pleasant or unpleasant, are temporary. By recognizing the impermanence of life's situations, individuals can maintain a more balanced perspective, knowing that challenges will ultimately pass and that they have the resilience to endure and appreciate the transient moments of life.
Themes
TransienceImpermanenceResilienceChangePerspective
In practice
Example use cases
During a difficult speech, one might say, 'Remember, this too shall pass.'
More from Alain De Botton
All quotes →Taking architecture seriously therefore makes some singular and strenuous demands upon us...It means conceding that we are inconveniently vulnerable to the colour of our wallpaper and that our sense of purpose may be derailed by an unfortunate bedspread
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The more closely we analyze what we consider 'sexy,' the more clearly we will understand that eroticism is the feeling of excitement we experience at finding another human being who shares our values and our sense of the meaning of existence.
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Good books put a finger on emotions that are deeply our own - but that we could never have described on our own.
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It is the most ambitious and driven among us who are the most sorely in need of having our reckless hopes dampened through immersive dousings in the darkness which religions have explored. This is a particular priority for secular Americans, perhaps the most anxious and disappointed people on earth, for their nation infuses them with the most extreme hopes about what they may be able to achieve in their working lives and relationships.
Alain De BottonRead
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