We must never expect discretion in first love: it is accompanied by such excessive joy that unless the joy is allowed to overflow, it will choke you.
Alexandre DumasRead
And now, farewell to kindness, humanity and gratitude... I have substituted myself for Providence in rewarding the good; may the God of vengeance now yield me His place to punish the wicked.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects a moral dilemma, questioning the balance between kindness and the desire for justice.
In this quote, Alexandre Dumas expresses a deep internal conflict between the values of kindness and humanity on one side, and the darker impulse for vengeance against wrongdoing on the other. The speaker suggests that they can no longer rely on divine providence to administer justice, indicating a desire to take matters into their own hands, ultimately raising questions about morality, duty, and the consequences of prioritizing retribution over compassion.
Themes
KindnessVengeanceMoralityGratitudeJustice
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech at a charity event about moral responsibilities and justice.
More from Alexandre Dumas
All quotes →There are two ways of seeing: with the body and with the soul. The body's sight can sometimes forget, but the soul remembers forever.
Alexandre DumasRead
I do not often laugh, sir, as you may perceive by the air of my countenance; but nevertheless, I retain the privilege of laughing when I please.
Alexandre DumasRead
There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness.
Alexandre DumasRead
Those born to wealth, and who have the means of gratifying every wish, know not what is the real happiness of life, just as those who have been tossed on the stormy waters of the ocean on a few frail planks can alone realize the blessings of fair weather.
Alexandre DumasRead
It is the way of weakened minds to see everything through a black cloud. The soul forms its own horizons; your soul is darkened, and consequently the sky of the future appears stormy and unpromising
Alexandre DumasRead
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