We must never expect discretion in first love: it is accompanied by such excessive joy that unless the joy is allowed to overflow, it will choke you.
Alexandre DumasRead
Perhaps what I am about to say will appear strange to you gentlemen, socialists, progressives, humanitarians as you are, but I never worry about my neighbor, I never try to protect society which does not protect me -- indeed, I might add, which generally takes no heed of me except to do me harm -- and, since I hold them low in my esteem and remain neutral towards them, I believe that society and my neighbor are in my debt.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker prioritizes personal autonomy over societal obligations, feeling that society often disregards the individual.
In this quote, Alexandre Dumas expresses a sentiment of self-reliance and a lack of concern for societal norms that do not offer protection or value to the individual. By declaring his neutrality towards a society that he believes harms him, he suggests that individuals are entitled to prioritize their own interests and well-being rather than feeling a moral obligation to support a society that does not reciprocate. This perspective challenges traditional notions of social responsibility and community, emphasizing personal dignity and autonomy.
Themes
Self-RelianceSocietyAutonomyNeutralityProtection
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion on the importance of individual independence in a community meeting.
More from Alexandre Dumas
All quotes →There are two ways of seeing: with the body and with the soul. The body's sight can sometimes forget, but the soul remembers forever.
Alexandre DumasRead
I do not often laugh, sir, as you may perceive by the air of my countenance; but nevertheless, I retain the privilege of laughing when I please.
Alexandre DumasRead
There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness.
Alexandre DumasRead
Those born to wealth, and who have the means of gratifying every wish, know not what is the real happiness of life, just as those who have been tossed on the stormy waters of the ocean on a few frail planks can alone realize the blessings of fair weather.
Alexandre DumasRead
It is the way of weakened minds to see everything through a black cloud. The soul forms its own horizons; your soul is darkened, and consequently the sky of the future appears stormy and unpromising
Alexandre DumasRead
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