I always do the first line well, but I have trouble doing the others.
True, Heaven prohibits certain pleasures; but one can generally negotiate a compromise.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that while there are moral limitations on pleasure, individuals often find ways to navigate those boundaries.
Moliere's quote reflects the human tendency to seek pleasure even in the face of moral or societal restrictions. It implies that while certain joys may be deemed inappropriate by higher authorities or ethical standards, a compromise can be reached, allowing individuals to indulge in some form of enjoyment without completely crossing the line. This highlights the conflict between human desires and moral imperatives, showcasing a pragmatic approach to pleasure.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect for a discussion on the balance between ethics and personal desires in a philosophy class.
More from Moliere
All quotes →Beauty without intelligence is like a hook without bait.
Betrayed and wronged in everything, I’ll flee this bitter world where vice is king, And seek some spot unpeopled and apart Where I’ll be free to have an honest heart. - Molière, The Misanthrope
Long is the road from conception to completion.
Oh, I may be devout, but I am human all the same.
Hypocrisy is a fashionable vice, and all fashionable vices pass for virtue.
Similar quotes
Let us have compassion for those under chastisement. Alas, who are we ourselves? Who am I and who are you? Whence do we come and is it quite certain that we did nothing before we were born? This earth is not without some resemblance to a gaol. Who knows but that man is a victim of divine justice? Look closely at life. It is so constituted that one senses punishment everywhere.
We know too much and feel too little. At least, we feel too little of those creative emotions from which a good life springs.
I don't think aggression works like thirst or sleep. I think aggression is more elicited by particular situations. I think it can be mitigated.
You can truly grieve for every officer who's been lost in the line of duty in this country, and still be troubled by cases of police overreach.
There is not a thing as the wrong place, or the wrong time. We are where we are at the only time we have. Perhaps it's where we're meant to be.
Finally, I began to write about becoming an older woman and the trepidation it stirred. The small, telling "betrayals" of my body. The stalled, eerie stillness in my writing, accompanied by an ache for some unlived destiny. I wrote about the raw, unsettled feelings coursing through me, the need to divest and relocate, the urge to radically simplify and distill life into a new, unknown meaning.