To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
Aldous HuxleyRead
Now, a corpse, poor thing, is an untouchable and the process of decay is, of all pieces of bad manners, the vulgarest imaginable. For a corpse is, by definition, a person absolutely devoid of savoir vivre.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the lack of social grace in death compared to life, emphasizing the decay of a body and the absence of culture in death.
Aldous Huxley's quote suggests that a corpse, being lifeless, is devoid of the social etiquette and grace that defines a person during their life. The decay of a body serves as a stark reminder of mortality, highlighting how the absence of 'savoir vivre' or the knowledge of living well is most evident when one can no longer participate in the social world.
Themes
DeathDecaySavoir VivreEtiquetteMortality
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical discussion about the nature of life and death, this quote could illustrate the contrast between living well and the social implications of death.
More from Aldous Huxley
All quotes →Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
Aldous HuxleyRead
In the course of history many more people have died for their drink and their dope than have died for their religion or their country.
Aldous HuxleyRead
On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.
Aldous HuxleyRead
No man ever dared to manifest his boredom so insolently as does a Siamese tomcat when he yawns in the face of his amorously importunate wife.
Aldous HuxleyRead
The leech's kiss, the squid's embrace, The prurient ape's defiling touch: And do you like the human race? No, not much.
Aldous HuxleyRead
Similar quotes
It was reasonable to struggle, to suffer, perhaps even to die, for a more just, a more compassionate society, but not in a world with no future where, all to soon, the very words "justice," "compassion," "society," "struggle," "evil," would be unheard echoes on an empty air.
P. D. JamesRead
In the conduct of our public worship where is the authority of Christ to be found? The truth is that today the Lord rarely controls a service, and the influence He exerts is very small. We sing of Him and preach about Him, but He must not interfere; we worship our way, and it must be right because we have always done it that way, as have the other churches in our group.
Aiden Wilson TozerRead
The gods confound the man who first found out How to distinguish hours! Confound him, too, Who in this place set up a sun-dial, To cut and hack my days so wretchedly Into small portions.
PlautusRead
If a man is happy in America, it is considered he is doing something wrong.
Clarence DarrowRead
All restraints upon man's natural liberty, not necessary for the simple maintenance of justice, are of the nature of slavery, and differ from each other only in degree.
Lysander SpoonerRead
The Cross isn't an ornament, mere symbol. It's the mystery of God's love, that He died for our sins.
Pope FrancisRead