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Each of our passions, even love, has a stomach that must not be overloaded. We must in everything write the word 'finis' in time; we must restrain ourselves, when it becomes urgent; we must draw the bolt on the appetite, play a fantasia on the violin, then break the strings with our own hand. The Wise man is he who knows when and how to stop.
Victor Hugo
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Interpretation

What this quote means

We must learn to control our passions and know when to stop before they overwhelm us.

In this quote, Victor Hugo emphasizes the importance of moderation and self-control in our passions, including love. He suggests that every passion has its limits and that wisdom lies in recognizing when to restrain ourselves, ensuring that we do not overindulge or allow our appetites to lead us astray. The metaphor of breaking the violin strings illustrates that we have the power to take decisive actions to control our desires and maintain balance in our lives.

Themes

PassionModerationWisdomSelf-ControlBalance

In practice

Example use cases

During a discussion on the importance of work-life balance, one can quote Hugo to emphasize the need for restraint.

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At that moment of love, a moment when passion is absolutely silent under omnipotence of ecstasy, Marius, pure seraphic Marius, would have been more capable of visiting a woman of the streets than of raising Cosette’s dress above the ankle. Once on a moonlit night, Cosette stopped to pick up something from the ground, her dress loosened and revealed the swelling of her breasts. Marius averted his eyes.
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Thought is the work of the intellect, reverie is its self-indulgence. To substitute day-dreaming for thought is to confuse a poison with a source of nourishment.
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Taste is the common sense of genius.
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Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
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