To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
Aldous HuxleyRead
he had been making an unsuccessful effort to write something about nothing in particular
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the challenge of expressing ideas that lack a specific focus or subject.
Aldous Huxley reflects on the difficulty of articulating thoughts or emotions when they are not tied to a concrete idea or theme. This introspective statement suggests that one can struggle to convey meaning when grappling with ambiguity or the absence of a clear subject matter, pointing to the broader philosophical inquiry about the nature of existence and expression.
Themes
WritingExpressionIdeasAmbivalencePhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a creative writing workshop, this quote could illustrate the struggles of writers when faced with writer's block.
More from Aldous Huxley
All quotes βFacts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
Aldous HuxleyRead
In the course of history many more people have died for their drink and their dope than have died for their religion or their country.
Aldous HuxleyRead
On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.
Aldous HuxleyRead
No man ever dared to manifest his boredom so insolently as does a Siamese tomcat when he yawns in the face of his amorously importunate wife.
Aldous HuxleyRead
The leech's kiss, the squid's embrace, The prurient ape's defiling touch: And do you like the human race? No, not much.
Aldous HuxleyRead
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When machines fail, when technology fails, when the conventional religion fails, people have got to have something. Even a zombin lurching through the night can seem pretty cheerful compared to the existential comedy/horror of the ozone layer dissolving under the combined assult of a million flurocarbon spray cans of deoderant." - The Mist
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Once you've ruled out the impossible then whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truth. The problem lay in working out what was impossible, of course. That was the trick, all right. There was also the curious incident of the orangutan in the night-time.
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You should not have any special fondness for a particular weapon, or anything else, for that matter. Too much is the same as not enough. Without imitating anyone else, you should have as much weaponry as suits you.
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Prayer is not a preparation for the battle; it is the battle!
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He had one illusion - France; and one disillusion - mankind, including Frenchmen.
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We spend our time envying people whom we wouldn't wish to be.
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