It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.
Victor HugoRead
In saying no to progress, it is not the future which they condemn, but themselves. They give themselves a melancholy disease; they inoculate themselves with the past. There is but one way of refusing tomorrow, that is to die.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that refusing to embrace progress harms oneself rather than the future.
Victor Hugo's quote reflects on the consequences of rejecting progress and holding onto the past. He suggests that by denying future possibilities and clinging to outdated beliefs or ways of living, individuals inflict harm upon themselves, creating a state of melancholy and stagnation. The phrase underscores the inevitability of change and the importance of moving forward to avoid a metaphorical death of the spirit and potential.
Themes
ProgressChangeFuturePastSelf-Condemnation
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech to encourage team members to embrace new technologies.
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At that moment of love, a moment when passion is absolutely silent under omnipotence of ecstasy, Marius, pure seraphic Marius, would have been more capable of visiting a woman of the streets than of raising Cosette’s dress above the ankle. Once on a moonlit night, Cosette stopped to pick up something from the ground, her dress loosened and revealed the swelling of her breasts. Marius averted his eyes.
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Thought is the work of the intellect, reverie is its self-indulgence. To substitute day-dreaming for thought is to confuse a poison with a source of nourishment.
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Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
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