Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
Alexander PopeRead
Beauties in vain their pretty eyes may roll; charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Outer beauty can attract attention, but true value lies in one's character and merit.
This quote by Alexander Pope emphasizes that while physical beauty can be appealing and catch the eye, it is ultimately the inner qualities and virtues of a person that truly resonate and connect with the soul. The superficial charm might draw someone in, but lasting admiration and affection are founded on merit, integrity, and character.
Themes
BeautyMeritSoulCharacterAttraction
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at a wedding, one might say this quote to highlight the importance of inner qualities in a lasting relationship.
More from Alexander Pope
All quotes βWhat dire offence from am'rous causes springs, What mighty contests rise from trivial things.
Alexander PopeRead
Fair tresses man's imperial race ensnare; And beauty draws us with a single hair.
Alexander PopeRead
An honest man's the noblest work of God.
Alexander PopeRead
One thought of thee puts all the pomp to flight;_x000D_ _x000D_ Priests, tapers, temples, swim before my sight.
Alexander PopeRead
Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?
Alexander PopeRead
Similar quotes
Maybe true love isn't out there for me, but I can sublimate my loneliness with the notion that true love is out there for someone.
Roxane GayRead
I married my best friend. I was still in awe after more than four years of being around her at how smart and strong and loving and caring she was. And I really hoped that her choosing me and rejecting my advice to pursue her own career was a decision she would never regret.
William J. ClintonRead
To love our success more than God and our neighbor hardens the heart, making us less able to feel and to sense.
Timothy KellerRead
Now I felt the long-forgotten urgency of lovemaking, when it seems one's human selves leave, to be replaced by hungry beasts bolting their food. Gone are the civilized beings who talk of manners and journeys and letters; in their places are two bodies straining to give birth to a burst of inhuman pleasure followed by a great, floating nothingness. An explosion of life followed by death - in this we live, and in this we foreshadow our own sweet deaths.
Margaret GeorgeRead
The longing for destiny is nowhere stronger than in our romantic life.
Alain De BottonRead
Through your love for each other, through learning the art of making one person happy, you learn to express your love for the whole of humanity and all beings. Please help us develop the curriculum for the Institute for the Happiness of One Person. Don't wait until we open the school. You can begin practicing right away.
Nhat HanhRead