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At times the mirror increases a thing’s value, at times denies it.
Italo Calvino
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The perception of value can change depending on the context or perspective.

This quote by Italo Calvino suggests that our understanding of value is subjective and can fluctuate based on various factors. Sometimes, external reflections, like a mirror, can enhance the perceived worth of something, while at other times, it may diminish it. This highlights the complex nature of human perception and how it shapes our judgments and evaluations of both objects and situations.

Themes

ValuePerceptionSubjectivityContextReflection

In practice

Example use cases

During a seminar on art appreciation, one might use this quote to discuss how the value of artwork can change with different perspectives.

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Nobody these days holds the written word in such high esteem as police states do.
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The struggle of literature is in fact a struggle to escape from the confines of language; it stretches out from the utmost limits of what can be said; what stirs literature is the call and attraction of what is not in the dictionary.
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Fantasy is like jam. . . . You have to spread it on a solid piece of bread. If not, it remains a shapeless thing . . . out of which you can’t make anything.
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