Personal relations are the important thing for ever and ever, and not this outer life of telegrams and anger.
E. M. ForsterRead
At times our need for a sympathetic gesture is so great that we care not what exactly it signifies or how much we may have to pay for it afterwards.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We sometimes seek sympathy and comfort without considering the consequences.
This quote by E. M. Forster highlights the deep human need for empathy and support from others. It suggests that in moments of emotional vulnerability, individuals may overlook the implications of seeking comfort, prioritizing their immediate need for connection over potential future repercussions, demonstrating the complex nature of human relationships and emotional dynamics.
Themes
SympathyGestureRelationshipHuman ConnectionEmpathy
In practice
Example use cases
A therapist might use this quote to emphasize the importance of emotional support during tough times.
More from E. M. Forster
All quotes βA poem is true if it hangs together. Information points to something else. A poem points to nothing but itself.
E. M. ForsterRead
One must be fond of people and trust them if one is not to make a mess of life.
E. M. ForsterRead
Oxford is Oxford: not a mere receptacle for youth, like Cambridge. Perhaps it wants its inmates to love it rather than to love one another.
E. M. ForsterRead
The fact is we can only love what we know personally. And we cannot know much. In public affairs, in the rebuilding of civilization, something less dramatic and emotional is needed, namely tolerance.
E. M. ForsterRead
One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.
E. M. ForsterRead
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