Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end.
Madame De StaelRead
Wit lies in recognizing the resemblance among things which differ and the difference between things which are alike.
Interpretation
Wit involves understanding similarities and differences in various contexts.
The quote by Madame De Stael emphasizes the intellectual skill of wit, which is the ability to discern connections between seemingly disparate things while also recognizing distinctions among those that are similar. This capacity for nuanced thinking enables deeper insights and enriches communication, ultimately fostering a more profound appreciation for the complexities of the world around us.
In practice
During a debate, this quote can be used to highlight the importance of nuanced arguments.
Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end.
When at eve, at the bounding of the landscape, the heavens appear to recline so slowly on the earth, imagination pictures beyond the horizon an asylum of hope, - a native land of love; and nature seems silently to repeat that man is immortal.
The more we know the better we forgive. Whoever feels deeply, feels for all who live.
Intellect does not attain its full force unless it attacks power.
The human mind always makes progress, but it is a progress in spirals.
Politeness is the art of choosing among your thoughts.
An orator is a good man who is skilled in speaking.
To realize that our knowledge is ignorance, This is a noble insight. To regard our ignorance as knowledge, This is mental sickness. Only when we are sick of the sickness Shall we cease to be sick. The Sage is not sick, being sick of sickness; This is the secret of health.
May we never risk the life of our souls by being resentful or by bearing grudges.
Good beats upon the damned incessantly as sound waves beat on the ears of the deaf, but they cannot receive it. Their fists are clenched, their teeth are clenched, their eyes fast shut. First they will not, in the end they cannot, open their hands for gifts, or their mouth for food, or their eyes to see.
A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man's brow.
I've told several writers this, and, again, I get back to it, but if you want to make God smile, tell him your plans.
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