The deep joy we take in the company of people with whom we have just recently fallen in love is undisguisable.
John CheeverRead
Wisdom we know is the knowledge of good and evil - not the strength to choose between the two.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Wisdom involves understanding moral choices but does not necessarily come with the ability to act wisely.
This quote by John Cheever emphasizes that wisdom transcends mere knowledge of good and evil; it implies understanding these concepts but not necessarily having the strength or will to choose the right action. Many individuals may grasp what is good and what is harmful, yet struggle to apply this knowledge in their decision-making, showcasing the complex nature of wisdom and human behavior.
Themes
WisdomKnowledgeChoiceGoodEvil
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethical dilemmas during a philosophy class.
More from John Cheever
All quotes βFor me a page of good prose is where one hears the rain. A page of good prose is when one hears the noise of battle.... A page of good prose seems to me the most serious dialogue that well-informed and intelligent men and women carry on today in their endeavor to make sure that the fires of this planet burn peaceably.
John CheeverRead
For me, a page of good prose is where one hears the rain and the noise of battle. It has the power to give grief or universality that lends it a youthful beauty.
John CheeverRead
The world that was not mine yesterday now lies spread out at my feet, a splendor. I seem, in the middle of the night, to have returned to the world of apples, the orchards of Heaven. Perhaps I should take my problems to a shrink, or perhaps I should enjoy the apples that I have, streaked with color like the evening sky.
John CheeverRead
What I am going to write is the last of what I have to say. I will say that literature is the only consciousness we possess and that its role as consciousness must inform us of our ability to comprehend the hideous danger of nuclear power.
John CheeverRead
Art is the triumph over chaos.
John CheeverRead
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