To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
Aldous HuxleyRead
In religion all words are dirty words. Anybody who gets eloquent about Buddha, or God, or Christ, ought to have his mouth washed out with carbolic soap.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques overly grandiose or eloquent expressions about spirituality and religion.
Aldous Huxley uses this quote to argue that discussions surrounding religion often become filled with excessive and inflated language that obscures true understanding. By suggesting that such eloquence deserves a metaphorical cleansing, Huxley emphasizes the importance of sincerity and humility in our discussions about spirituality, warning against the danger of letting lofty language replace genuine thought and reflection.
Themes
ReligionEloquenceSpiritualityHumilityCommunication
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on religious philosophy, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of clear communication.
More from Aldous Huxley
All quotes βFacts 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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