Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
W. H. AudenRead
Whatever you do, good or bad, people will always have something negative to say
Interpretation
What this quote means
People will always judge your actions, regardless of their outcomes.
This quote by W. H. Auden highlights the inevitability of judgment from others, no matter the nature of your actions. It suggests that regardless of whether you achieve success or encounter failure, external opinions will persist, often leaning towards the negative. This reflects a broader truth about human nature and societal expectations, urging individuals to focus on their own values and intentions rather than seeking approval from others.
Themes
JudgmentCriticismOpinionActionsSociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about resilience, one might quote Auden to emphasize the importance of staying true to oneself despite external criticism.
More from W. H. Auden
All quotes βThat the speech of self-disclosure should be translatable seems to me very odd, but I am convinced that it is. The conclusion that I draw is that the only quality which all human being without exception possess is uniqueness: any characteristic, on the other hand, which one individual can be recognized as having in common with another, like red hair or the English language, implies the existence of other individual qualities which this classification excludes.
W. H. AudenRead
Nobody knows what the cause is, though some pretend they do; it like some hidden assassin waiting to strike at you. Childless women get it, and men when they retire; it as if there had to be some outlet for their foiled creative fire.
W. H. AudenRead
History is, strictly speaking, the study of questions; the study of answers belongs to anthropology and sociology.
W. H. AudenRead
Music is the best means we have of digesting time.
W. H. AudenRead
'Healing,' Papa would tell me, 'is not a science, but the intuitive art of wooing nature.'
W. H. AudenRead
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Every generation gets the Constitution that it deserves. As the central preoccupations of an era make their way into the legal system, the Supreme Court eventually weighs in, and nine lawyers in robes become oracles of our national identity.
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And I watch my words from a long way off. They are more yours than mine. They climb on my old suffering like ivy.
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