Belief like any other moving body follows the path of least resistance.
Samuel ButlerRead
If I die prematurely I shall be saved from being bored to death at my own success.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses that achieving success can sometimes lead to boredom, suggesting that an untimely death may save one from the monotony that can come after success.
Samuel Butler's quote reflects a paradoxical perspective on success, indicating that the achievements that many strive for can sometimes become dull and unfulfilling. The idea of dying prematurely is presented as a metaphor for escaping the potential boredom that can accompany success, highlighting the complex and often contradictory emotions associated with achieving one's goals.
Themes
SuccessBoredomAchievementParadoxLife
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about the hidden downsides of success.
More from Samuel Butler
All quotes βTo know God better is only to realize how impossible it is that we should ever know him at all. I know not which is more childish to deny him, or define him.
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Academic and aristocratic people live in such an uncommon atmosphere that common sense can rarely reach them.
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An apology for the devil: it must be remembered that we have heard one side of the case. God has written all the books.
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Young people have a marvelous faculty of either dying or adapting themselves to circumstances.
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People care more about being thought to have taste than about being thought either good, clever or amiable.
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Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined.
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