They are all alike you know. They hold their tongues for years and you think you're safe, but when the opportunity comes they remember everything.
Edith WhartonRead
In our hurried world too little value is attached to the part of the connoisseur and dilettante.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote laments the lack of appreciation for those who have a refined taste and passion for the arts in our fast-paced society.
Edith Wharton highlights a societal trend where the roles of connoisseurs—those who appreciate and understand the finer details of art and culture—and dilettantes—those who engage casually with the arts—are undervalued. In today's hurried world, the deep appreciation for art, beauty, and culture is often overlooked, suggesting that a more thoughtful approach to the arts can enrich our lives and society as a whole.
Themes
ConnoisseurDilettanteArtAppreciationSociety
In practice
Example use cases
During an art gallery opening, a speaker could use the quote to emphasize the importance of appreciating art's nuances.
More from Edith Wharton
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As he paid the hansom and followed his wife's long train into the house he took refuge in the comforting platitude that the first six months were always the most difficult in marriage. 'After that I suppose we shall have pretty nearly finished rubbing off each other’s angles,' he reflected; but the worst of it was that May's pressure was already bearing on the very angles whose sharpness he most wanted to keep
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There are two ways to spread happiness; either be the light who shines it or be the mirror who reflects it.
Edith WhartonRead
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