Hug the shore; let others try the deep.
If ye despise the human race, and mortal arms, yet remember that there is a God who is mindful of right and wrong.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of morality and the divine oversight of human actions, regardless of one's feelings towards humanity.
Virgil's quote points to a fundamental belief in a higher power that watches over human behavior, serving as a reminder that even when one feels disillusioned or contemptuous towards humanity and its flaws, there exists a divine presence that upholds morality and justice. This prompts individuals to reflect on their actions and the inherent worth of moral principles, encouraging a sense of accountability towards a greater good.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a philosophical discussion about the nature of humanity and morality.
More from Virgil
All quotes βEven virtue is fairer when it appears in a beautiful person.
Happy the man who has been able to learn the causes of things.
Endure the present, and watch for better things.
Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance.
Fear is proof of a degenerate mind.
Similar quotes
I sometimes subscribe to the belief that all historical events occur simultaneously, like a dream in the mind of God. Perhaps it is only man who views time sequentially and tries to impose a solar calendar upon it. What if other people, both dead and unborn, are living out their lives in the same space we occupy, without our knowledge or consent?" The Glass Rainbow, p. 138
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
[A]nother important difference between tourist and traveler is that the former accepts his own civilization without question; not so the traveler, who compares it with the others, and rejects those elements he finds not to his liking.
There are those who believe Black people possess the secret of joy and that it is this that will sustain them through any spiritual or moral or physical devastation.
What can the harvest hope for, if not for the care of the Reaper Man?
To think well is to serve God in the interior court.