It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.
Victor HugoRead
There are no rules, no models; rather, there are no rules other than the general laws of Nature.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the absence of fixed rules in life, highlighting the importance of natural laws.
Victor Hugo is suggesting that while societal rules and models may exist, they are not absolute and can be transcended. Instead, he points to the fundamental laws of Nature as the only true guidelines for understanding life and existence, encouraging individuals to rely on their intuition and the natural order rather than artificially imposed constraints.
Themes
RulesNatureLifeFreedomPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about creativity and innovation, one could quote this to inspire thinking outside the box.
More from Victor Hugo
All quotes βWhen two mouths, made sacred by love, draw near to each other to create, it is impossible, that above that ineffable kiss there should not be a thrill in the immense mystery of the stars.
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At that moment of love, a moment when passion is absolutely silent under omnipotence of ecstasy, Marius, pure seraphic Marius, would have been more capable of visiting a woman of the streets than of raising Cosetteβs dress above the ankle. Once on a moonlit night, Cosette stopped to pick up something from the ground, her dress loosened and revealed the swelling of her breasts. Marius averted his eyes.
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Thought is the work of the intellect, reverie is its self-indulgence. To substitute day-dreaming for thought is to confuse a poison with a source of nourishment.
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Taste is the common sense of genius.
Victor HugoRead
Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
Victor HugoRead
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Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is.
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