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Our words have wings, but fly not where we would.
George Eliot
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Our words have the power to influence, but often do not reach their intended destination.

This quote by George Eliot suggests that while our words can soar and carry meaning, they do not always convey our true intentions or impact others as we hope. It reflects on the limitations of communication, implying that the messages we express may not always land effectively with our audience, leading to misunderstandings or unintended consequences.

Themes

WordsCommunicationIntentionMeaningImpact

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about the importance of clear communication, one might quote George Eliot to highlight the challenges of ensuring one's message is understood.

More from George Eliot

Go forward with joyful confidence.
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You must love your work, and not be always looking over the edge of it, wanting your play to begin. And the other is, you must not be ashamed of your work, and think it would be more honorable to you to be doing something else. You must have a pride in your own work and in learning to do it well.
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She thought it was part of the hardship of her life that there was laid upon her the burthen of larger wants than others seemed to feel – that she had to endure this wide hopeless yearning for that something, whatever it was, that was greatest and best on this earth.
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Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music.
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I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music.
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Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them: they can be injured by us, they can be wounded; they know all our penitence, all our aching sense that their place is empty, all the kisses we bestow on the smallest relic of their presence.
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Quote by George Eliot | QuoteProject