The Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, is seen as the beginning of modern depravity.
Umberto EcoRead
The truth is a young maiden as modest as she is beautiful, and therefore she is always seen cloaked.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The truth is often concealed and not easily visible, despite its inherent beauty and value.
Umberto Eco's quote suggests that truth is both alluring and delicate, much like a young maiden who possesses beauty and modesty. It implies that truth is often hidden beneath layers of complexity or societal norms, requiring effort to reveal it. This perspective highlights the tension between the visible and the hidden aspects of truth, reminding us that while it is beautiful, it can also be elusive.
Themes
TruthBeautyModestyPhilosophyKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about honesty, one might use this quote to illustrate the concept that truth is often hidden beneath the surface.
More from Umberto Eco
All quotes →I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early poetry, and bad poets publish it. Thankfully I gave up rather quickly.
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But why do some people support [the heretics]?" "Because it serves their purposes, which concern the faith rarely, and more often the conquest of power." "Is that why the church of Rome accuses all its adversaries of heresy?" "That is why, and that is also why it recognizes as orthodoxy any heresy it can bring back under its own control or must accept because the heresy has become too strong.
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You die, but most of what you have accumulated will not be lost; you are leaving a message in a bottle.
Umberto EcoRead
"Then we are living in a place abandoned by God," I said, disheartened. "Have you found any places where God would have felt at home?" William asked me, looking down from his great height.
Umberto EcoRead
The lunatic is all idée fixe, and whatever he comes across confirms his lunacy. You can tell him by the liberties he takes with common sense, by his flashes of inspiration, and by the fact that sooner or later he brings up the Templars.
Umberto EcoRead
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