What a test that is: more than devotion, admiration, passion. If you long and long for someoneβs company you love them.
Iris MurdochRead
Possibly, more people kill themselves and others out of hurt vanity than out of envy, jealousy, malice or desire for revenge.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that many acts of violence and self-harm stem from vanity rather than negative emotions like jealousy or malice.
Iris Murdoch highlights the destructive power of vanity, implying that our self-importance and obsession with how we are perceived can lead to tragic outcomes, including self-harm and harm to others. It challenges the common belief that negative emotions are the primary drivers of such actions and encourages a deeper reflection on the impact of our ego and self-image.
Themes
VanityHurtSelf-HarmPhilosophyEmotions
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about mental health, this quote can emphasize the importance of understanding the root causes of self-destructive behavior.
More from Iris Murdoch
All quotes βThe bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.
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Man's creative struggle, his search for wisdom and truth, is a love story.
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All art deals with the absurd and aims at the simple. Good art speaks truth, indeed is truth, perhaps the only truth.
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A bad review is even less important than whether it is raining in Patagonia.
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Perhaps when distant people on other planets pick up some wavelength of ours all they hear is a continuous scream.
Iris MurdochRead
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