I had much rather be adorned by beauty of character than by jewels. Jewels are the gift of fortune, character comes from within.
PlautusRead
Property is unstable, and youth perishes in a moment. Life itself is held in the grinning fangs of Death, Yet men delay to obtain release from the world. Alas, the conduct of mankind is surprising.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the transient nature of life and the folly of human hesitation in seeking freedom from worldly attachments.
Plautus emphasizes the fleeting nature of youth and the inevitability of death, suggesting that while life is precariously balanced, people often remain shackled by their worldly concerns. The surprising behavior of mankind, in clinging to possessions and fears, highlights a paradox where the fear of mortality makes them delay seeking liberation from their earthly ties.
Themes
LifeDeathFreedomYouthHuman Behavior
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about embracing life, one could quote this to emphasize the importance of seizing the moment.
More from Plautus
All quotes →Things we do not expect, happen more frequently than we wish.
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The gods confound the man who first found out How to distinguish hours! Confound him, too, Who in this place set up a sun-dial, To cut and hack my days so wretchedly Into small portions.
PlautusRead
I would rather be adorned by beauty of character than jewels. Jewels are the gift of fortune, while character comes from within.
PlautusRead
If I can only keep my good name, I shall have riches enough.
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Spice a dish with love and it pleases every palate.
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How can I lose faith in the justice of life, when the dreams of those who sleep upon feathers are not more beautiful than the dreams of those who sleep upon the earth?
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The greatest gift that God in His bounty made in creation, and the most conformable to His goodness, and that which He prizes the most, was the freedom of will, with which the creatures with intelligence, they all and they alone, were and are endowed.
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Man is conceived in sin and born in corruption and he passeth from the stink of the didie to the stench of the shroud. There is always something (All The King's Men)
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