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There are few things sweeter in this world than the guileless, hotheaded, intemperate, open admiration of a junior. Even a woman in her blindest devotion does not fall into the gait of the man she adores, tilt her bonnet to the angle at which he wears his hat, or interlard her speech with his pet oaths.
Rudyard Kipling
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote expresses the pure and unfiltered admiration that can exist between a junior and a mentor, likening it to a level of devotion that is different from romantic love.

Rudyard Kipling captures the essence of sincere admiration that a junior feels toward a mentor or senior figure. This admiration is characterized by its unpretentiousness and intensity, highlighting how it often surpasses the nuanced affections seen in romantic relationships. The imagery used emphasizes the innocent yet fervent nature of this admiration, suggesting that such feelings are both rare and precious.

Themes

AdmirationJuniorMentorRelationshipsDevotion

In practice

Example use cases

A mentor giving a speech at a graduation ceremony could use this quote to illustrate the value of admiration in a teacher-student relationship.

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We have done with Hope and Honour. we are lost to Love and Truth, We are dropping down the ladder rung by rung; And the measure of our torment is the measure of our youth. God help us, for we knew the worst too young!
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Humble because of knowledge; mighty by sacrifice.
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I keep six honest serving men.
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And when your back stops aching and your hands begin to harden, You will find yourself a partner in the Glory of the Garden.
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Savings represent much more than mere money value. They are the proof that the saver is worth something in himself. Any fool can waste; any fool can muddle; but it takes something more of a man to save and the more he saves the more of a man he makes of himself. Waste and extravagance unsettle a man's mind for every crisis; thrift, which means some form of self-restraint, steadies it.
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