Unbounded courage and compassion join'd, Tempering each other in the victor's mind, Alternately proclaim him good and great, And make the hero and the man complete.
Joseph AddisonRead
Admiration is a very short-lived passion, that immediately decays upon growing familiar with its object.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Admiration fades as we become more familiar with those we admire.
This quote by Joseph Addison suggests that feelings of admiration are often fleeting and can diminish quickly as we grow more acquainted with the person or thing we originally admired. Over time, the novelty and mystique that fueled our admiration can be replaced by familiarity, revealing flaws and complexities that make the object of our admiration less awe-inspiring.
Themes
AdmirationFamiliarityPassionDecayObject
In practice
Example use cases
During a presentation about celebrity culture, I shared this quote to illustrate how public admiration can quickly change.
More from Joseph Addison
All quotes βGood nature is more agreeable in conversation than wit and gives a certain air to the countenance which is more amiable than beauty.
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Ridicule is generally made use of to laugh men out of virtue and good sense, by attacking everything praiseworthy in human life.
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Admiration is a very short lived passion that immediately decays upon growing familiar with its object, unless it still be fed with fresh discoveries, and kept alive by a new perpetual succession of miracles rising up to its view.
Joseph AddisonRead
It is impossible for us, who live in the latter ages of the world, to make observations in criticism, morality, or in any art or science, which have not been touched upon by others. We have little else left us but to represent the common sense of mankind in more strong, more beautiful, or more uncommon lights.
Joseph AddisonRead
An ostentatious man will rather relate a blunder or an absurdity he has committed, than be debarred from talking of his own dear person.
Joseph AddisonRead
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