To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the idea that addiction can drive people to extreme actions, often overshadowing more noble motivations like patriotism or faith.
Aldous Huxley's quote underscores the destructive power of addiction, suggesting that many individuals have sacrificed their lives for substances like alcohol or drugs rather than for their beliefs or homeland. This observation prompts a reflection on the potent and often overlooked pull that addictions exert on individuals, contrasting with the traditional narratives around sacrifice for higher causes.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the impacts of addiction on society, this quote could highlight the overlooked sacrifices made due to substance abuse.
More from Aldous Huxley
All quotes βFacts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.
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.
The leech's kiss, the squid's embrace, The prurient ape's defiling touch: And do you like the human race? No, not much.
Children are remarkable for their intelligence and ardor, for their curiosity, their intolerance of shams, the clarity and ruthlessness of their vision.
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When we oppose the hidden conscience, it does us hurt. When we betray it, it judges us.
Pope had been flattered till he thought himself one of the moving powers of the system of life. When he talked of laying down his pen, those who sat round him intreated and implored; and self-love did not suffer him to suspect that they went away and laughed.
You think, as you walk away from Le Cirque des RΓͺves and into the creeping dawn, that you felt more awake within the confines of the circus. You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream.
Tradition does not mean a dead town; it does not mean that the living are dead but that the dead are alive. It means that it still matters what Penn did two hundred years ago or what Franklin did a hundred years ago; I never could feel in New York that it mattered what anybody did an hour ago.
We have more and more ways to communicate, as Thoreau noted, but less and less to say.
Written language must be considered as a particular psychic reality. The book is permanent; it is an object in your field of vision. It speaks to you with a monotonous authority which even its author would not have. You are fairly obliged to read what is written.