Patience patience quotes is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
Jean-Jacques RousseauRead
I bold it impossible, that the great monarchies of Europe can subsist much longer; they all affect magnificence and splendor.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Rousseau suggests that the great monarchies of Europe are unsustainable due to their extravagant lifestyles.
In this quote, Jean-Jacques Rousseau critiques the inherent instability of the grand monarchies in Europe, arguing that their overwhelming desire for opulence and grandeur ultimately undermines their longevity. He posits that such extravagance is not only impractical but will lead to their downfall, reflecting his broader views on social inequality and the nature of power.
Themes
MonarchiesEuropeSustainabilityOpulenceGrandiosity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the decline of historical empires, one could cite Rousseau's insight on the unsustainability of their magnificence.
More from Jean-Jacques Rousseau
All quotes →The infant, on opening his eyes, ought to see his country, and to the hour of his death never lose sight of it.
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What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?
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O love, if I regret the age when one savors you, it is not for the hour of pleasure, but for the one that follows it.
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Those people who treat politics and morality separately will never understand either of them.
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As evening approached, I came down from the heights of the island, and I liked then to go and sit on the shingle in some secluded spot by the lake; there the noise of the waves and the movement of the water, taking hold of my senses and driving all other agitation from my soul, would plunge me into delicious reverie in which night often stole upon me unawares.
Jean-Jacques RousseauRead
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