Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
The consolation of reading biography: Most great men have led lives even more miserable than our own.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Reading biographies can provide comfort by revealing that even great individuals faced severe hardships.
Edward Abbey's quote highlights the value of biographies in understanding that many celebrated figures in history have endured significant struggles, often more severe than those we experience in our own lives. This perspective can serve as both a comfort and a reminder that greatness does not exempt one from adversity; in fact, it often comes from overcoming it.
Themes
BiographyGreat MenMiserableComfortStruggle
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about resilience, one might quote Abbey to illustrate that personal struggles are universally shared.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes βI love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
Edward AbbeyRead
If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
Edward AbbeyRead
The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
Edward AbbeyRead
I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
Edward AbbeyRead
Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Edward AbbeyRead
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Laziness and cowardice explain why so many men. . . remain under a life-long tutelage and why it is so easy for some men to set themselves up as the guardians of all the rest. . . If I have a book which understands for me, a pastor who has a conscience for me, a doctor who decides my diet, I need not trouble myself. If I am willing to pay, I need not think. Others will do it for me.
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