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I'd like to be born the son of a duke with 90,000 pounds a year, on an enormous estate.... And I'd like to have the most enormous library, and I'd like to think that I could read those books forever and forever, and die unlamented, unknown, unsung, unhonored - and packed with information.
Richard Francis Burton
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote expresses a desire for wealth, knowledge, and anonymity.

In this quote, Richard Francis Burton reflects on the notion of privilege and the pursuit of knowledge. He imagines a life of luxury, filled with books and intellectual wealth, yet desires to remain unknown and uncelebrated, suggesting that the value of knowledge itself is more important than recognition or acclaim.

Themes

KnowledgeWealthAnonymityBooksIntellect

In practice

Example use cases

In a graduation speech emphasizing the importance of lifelong learning.

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Friends of my youth, a last adieu! haply some day we meet again; _x000D_ Yet ne'er the self-same men shall meet; the years shall make us other men.
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If you can’t laugh together in bed, the chances are you are incompatible, anyway. I’d rather hear a girl laugh well than try to turn me on with long, silent, soulful, secret looks. If you can laugh with a woman, everything else falls into place.
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