The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
Refecting on the high divorce rate in America as contrasted with England "American women expect to find in their husbands a perfection that English women only hope to find in their butlers
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights differing expectations in marital perfection between American and English women.
W. Somerset Maugham's quote reflects on the contrasting expectations that American women hold towards their husbands in comparison to English women's more modest hopes for their butlers. It suggests that American women may seek an idealized form of perfection in their partners, which can contribute to dissatisfaction and the rising divorce rate, while English women have a more pragmatic view of relational aspirations.
Themes
DivorceExpectationsRelationshipsMarriagePerfection
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a discussion on marriage expectations in a relationship counseling session.
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