I pay very little regard...to what any young person says on the subject of marriage. If they profess a disinclination for it, I only set it down that they have not yet seen the right person.
Jane AustenRead
Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised, or a little mistaken.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Truth is often subjective and can be influenced by perception.
In this quote, Jane Austen reflects on the nature of truth and communication, suggesting that it is rare for any individual to express complete accuracy in their disclosures. She implies that human expression is often clouded by personal biases or misunderstandings, indicating the complexity of truth in human interactions.
Themes
TruthPerceptionCommunicationSubjectivityHuman Nature
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about honesty in relationships, this quote serves as a reminder that people may not always be fully truthful.
More from Jane Austen
All quotes →Nobody could catch cold by the sea; nobody wanted appetite by the sea; nobody wanted spirits; nobody wanted strength. Sea air was healing, softening, relaxing - fortifying and bracing - seemingly just as was wanted - sometimes one, sometimes the other. If the sea breeze failed, the seabath was the certain corrective; and where bathing disagreed, the sea air alone was evidently designed by nature for the cure.
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He certainly is very agreeable, and I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person.
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You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever.
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She hoped to be wise and reasonable in time; but alas! Alas! She must confess to herself that she was not wise yet.
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