We call those poets who are first to mark, Through earth's dull mist the coming of the dawn, Who see in twilight's gloom the first pale spark, While others only note that day is gone.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
I hate paying taxes. But I love the civilization they give me
Interpretation
What this quote means
Despite disliking taxes, the author appreciates the benefits of civilization they help fund.
This quote captures the tension between personal feelings towards taxation and the broader societal benefits that taxes provide. While paying taxes may be unpleasant, they are essential for maintaining infrastructure, law, and order, which contribute to a civilized society. The quote suggests that acknowledging the necessity of taxes can lead to a greater appreciation for the order and services they help sustain.
Themes
TaxesCivilizationSocietyBenefitsGovernment
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about government services, one could reference this quote to highlight the importance of taxes.
More from Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
All quotes βEvery real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
The very aim and end of our institutions is just this: that we may think what we like and say what we think.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Don't you stay at home of evenings? Don't you love a cushioned seat in a corner, by the fireside, with your slippers on your feet?
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by. Life is like that - one stitch at a time taken patiently and the pattern will come out all right like the embroidery.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
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Needless to say, the business of living interferes with the solitude so needed for any work of the imagination. Here's what Virginia Woolf said in her diary about the sticky issue: "I've shirked two parties, and another Frenchman, and buying a hat, and tea with Hilda Trevelyan, for I really can't combine all this with keeping all my imaginary people going.
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