Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who has a low opinion of himself.
Anthony TrollopeRead
There is no happiness in love, except at the end of an English novel.
Interpretation
Love is often fraught with difficulties, and true happiness may only be found in idealized endings, similar to those in English novels.
This quote by Anthony Trollope suggests that love in reality is often complicated and can lead to unhappiness. The notion of happiness in love is contrasted with the satisfying and often idealistic resolutions found in English novels, where everything typically ends on a positive note, implying that such experiences are rare in real life.
In practice
In a discussion about the challenges of romantic relationships, this quote could highlight the contrast between real-life love and fictional portrayals.
Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who has a low opinion of himself.
Romance is very pretty in novels, but the romance of a life is always a melancholy matter. They are most happy who have no story to tell.
That I can read and be happy while I am reading, is a great blessing.
A man's love, till it has been chastened and fastened by the feeling of duty which marriage brings with it, is instigated mainly by the difficulty of pursuit.
But she knew this,—that it was necessary for her happiness that she should devote herself to some one. All the elegancies and outward charms of life were delightful, if only they could be used as the means to some end. As an end themselves they were nothing.
Nothing surely is as potent as a law that may not be disobeyed. It has the force of the water drop that hollows the stone. A small dainty task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.
But words are vain; reject them all— They utter but a feeble part: Hear thou the depths from which they call, The voiceless longing of my heart.
If I can enjoy a joke at the expense of another; if I can in any way slight another in conversation, or even in thought, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
Love is like quicksilver in the hand. Leave the fingers open and it stays. Clutch it and it darts away.
What power has love but forgiveness? In other words by its intervention what has been done can be undone. What good is it otherwise?
No mistake about it. Ice is cold; roses are red; I'm in love. And this love is about to carry me off somewhere. The current's too overpowering; I don't have any choice. It may very well be a special place, some place I've never seen before. Danger may be lurking there, something that may end up wounding me deeply, fatally. I might end up losing everything. But there's no turning back. I can only go with the flow. Even if it means I'll be burned up, gone forever.
Big deal. So you fell in love with someone. Don’t you see what happened? This guy touched a place in your heart deeper than you thought you were capable of reaching, I mean you got zapped, kiddo. But that love you felt, that’s just the beginning. You just got a taste of love. That’s just limited little rinky-dink mortal love. Wait till you see how much more deeply you can love than that. Heck, Groceries—you have the capacity to someday love the whole world. It’s your destiny. Don’t laugh.
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