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Who can hope to be safe? who sufficiently cautious?_x000D_ _x000D_ Guard himself as he may, every moment's an ambush.
Horace
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Life is inherently unpredictable and full of risks, making safety a challenging goal.

This quote by Horace highlights the precarious nature of existence, suggesting that despite our best efforts to protect ourselves, life is filled with unexpected dangers and uncertainties. It raises an important philosophical question about the illusion of safety and the inevitability of ambushes that life throws our way, encouraging a deeper understanding of vulnerability and awareness.

Themes

SafetyRiskLifeUncertaintyVulnerability

In practice

Example use cases

During a speech about mental health, this quote can emphasize the importance of being aware of internal and external struggles.

More from Horace

Only a stomach that rarely feels hungry scorns common things.
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Now is the time for drinking; now the time to beat the earth with unfettered foot.
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Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.
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It is of no consequence of what parents a man is born, as long as he be a man of merit.
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It is not the rich man you should properly call happy, _x000D_ but him who knows how to use with wisdom the blessings of the gods, _x000D_ to endure hard poverty, and who fears dishonor worse than death, _x000D_ and is not afraid to die for cherished friends or fatherland.
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Few cross the river of time and are able to reach non-being. Most of them run up and down only on this side of the river. But those who when they know the law follow the path of the law, they shall reach the other shore and go beyond the realm of death.
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