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It is easy to go down into Hell; night and day, the gates of dark Death stand wide; but to climb back again, to retrace one's steps to the upper air - there's the rub, the task.
Virgil
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Resilience is challenging; it’s easy to succumb to despair, but difficult to overcome it.

This quote by Virgil emphasizes the difficulty of overcoming adversity and returning to a state of hope and light after experiencing hardship. While it may be easy to fall into despair or dangerous situations, the true challenge lies in the strength and courage it takes to rise above and find a way back to positivity and life.

Themes

ResilienceAdversityCourageOvercomingStruggle

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech about overcoming addiction, this quote can illustrate the challenges of recovery.

More from Virgil

Hug the shore; let others try the deep.
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Even virtue is fairer when it appears in a beautiful person.
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Happy the man who has been able to learn the causes of things.
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Endure the present, and watch for better things.
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Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance.
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Fear is proof of a degenerate mind.
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