To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
Aldous HuxleyRead
"But that's the price we have to pay for stability. You've got to choose between happiness and what people used to call high art. We've sacrificed the high art.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the pursuit of stability often comes at the cost of genuine happiness and artistic expression.
Aldous Huxley reflects on the trade-offs society makes in the name of stability, indicating that personal happiness may be sacrificed for the sake of adhering to high art standards, which can feel unattainable or irrelevant in pursuit of a stable life. This prompts a critical examination of what we value more—our emotional well-being or the complexities and challenges of artistic achievement.
Themes
ArtHappinessStabilitySacrificeExpression
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the sacrifices artists make, this quote illuminates the balance between stability and creative expression.
More from Aldous Huxley
All quotes →Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
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In the course of history many more people have died for their drink and their dope than have died for their religion or their country.
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On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.
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No man ever dared to manifest his boredom so insolently as does a Siamese tomcat when he yawns in the face of his amorously importunate wife.
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The leech's kiss, the squid's embrace, The prurient ape's defiling touch: And do you like the human race? No, not much.
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