I have a private theory, Sir, that there are no heroes and no monsters in this world. Only children should be allowed to use these words
Alfred De VignyRead
We shall find in our troubled hearts, where discord reigns, two needs which seem at variance, but which merge, as I think, in a common source - the love of the true, and the love of the fabulous.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote explores the conflicting desires within us for truth and imagination.
Alfred De Vigny highlights the duality of human nature, where we experience a conflict between our longing for reality and our appreciation for fantasy. Despite the apparent discord between these two needs, they both originate from a fundamental desire to seek meaning and beauty in life, suggesting that our hearts can encompass both the authentic and the extraordinary.
Themes
TruthImaginationLoveDiscordHuman Nature
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect for discussing the balance between reality and creativity in a motivational talk.
More from Alfred De Vigny
All quotes →The existence of the soldier, next to capital punishment, is the most grievous vestige of barbarism which survives among men.
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Do you not see with your own eyes the chrysalis fact assume by degrees the wings of fiction?
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Of what use were the arts if they were only the reproduction and the imitation of life?
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Of what use is the memory of facts, if not to serve as an example of good or of evil?
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