I have always been of the mind that in a democracy manners are the only effective weapons against the bowie-knife.
James Russell LowellRead
Not only around our infancy Doth heaven with all its splendors lie; Daily, with souls that cringe and plot, We Sinais climb and know it not.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the hidden struggles of life and the unrecognized potential within us.
James Russell Lowell's quote suggests that while we are surrounded by the beauty and wonder of existence from the very beginning of life, we often become entangled in our daily struggles and ambitions. The mention of 'souls that cringe and plot' speaks to the idea that many people are unaware of the potential within them and are instead focused on surviving rather than thriving, clambering metaphorically like the biblical 'Sinais' to reach greater heights without realizing the grandeur of their own existence.
Themes
LifePotentialStruggleSelf-DiscoveryExistence
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming hardships.
More from James Russell Lowell
All quotes βThe foolish and the dead alone never change their opinions.
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Not failure, but low aim, is crime.
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Good luck is the willing handmaid of upright, energetic character, and conscientious observance of duty.
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Puritanism, believing itself quick with the seed of religious liberty, laid, without knowing it, the egg of democracy.
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Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.
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