Love, whether newly born, or aroused from a deathlike slumber, must always create sunshine, filling the heart so full of radiance, this it overflows upon the outward world.
Nathaniel HawthorneRead
It is remarkable, that persons who speculate the most boldly often conform with the most perfect quietude to the external regulations of society. The thoughts alone suffice them, without investing itself in the flesh and blood of action.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the contrast between bold thinkers and their often compliant behavior in society.
Nathaniel Hawthorne observes that individuals who are audacious in their thoughts and speculations rarely translate those ideas into action, instead conforming quietly to societal rules. This reflection suggests that while intellectual boldness is admirable, it often does not manifest in real-world change, as many remain comfortable adhering to established norms without challenging them.
Themes
ThoughtActionConformitySocietyBoldness
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the importance of taking action in social movements.
More from Nathaniel Hawthorne
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All merely graceful attributes are usually the most evanescent.
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There is so much wretchedness in the world, that we may safely take the word of any mortal professing to need our assistance; and, even should we be deceived, still the good to ourselves resulting from a kind act is worth more than the trifle by which we purchase it.
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Let men tremble to win the hand of woman, unless they win along with it the utmost passion of her heart! Else it may be their miserable fortune, when some mightier touch than their own may have awakened all her sensibilities, to be reproached even for the calm content, the marble image of happiness, which they will have imposed upon her as the warm reality.
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The thing you set your mind on is the thing you ultimately become.
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