The limits of pleasure are as yet neither known nor fixed, and that we have no idea what degree of bodily bliss we are capable of attaining.
Interpretation
The potential for human pleasure is endless and not yet fully understood.
Brillat-Savarin's quote suggests that the experience of pleasure, particularly regarding physical sensations, is still a mystery to humanity. He implies that the boundaries of joy and bodily enjoyment are not predetermined, and we are yet to explore the full extent of what brings us bliss and satisfaction.
In practice
During a motivational speech about personal growth and exploration of human experience.
It has been shown as proof positive that carefully prepared chocolate is as healthful a food as it is pleasant; that it is nourishing and easily digested... that it is above all helpful to people who must do a great deal of mental work.
Place a substantial meal before a tired man and he will eat with effort and be little better for it at first. Give him a glass of wine or brandy, and immediately he feels better: you see him come to life again before you.
Gourmandism is an act of judgment, by which we prefer things which have a pleasant taste to those which lack this quality.
In the hands of an able cook, fish can become an inexhaustible source of perpetual delight.
You first parents of the human race...who ruined yourself for an apple, what might you have done for a truffled turkey?
Cooking is one of the oldest arts and one which has rendered us the most important service in civic life.
Old father, old artificer, stand me now and ever in good stead.
Never underestimate the joy people derive from hearing something they already know.
Anger tears me up inside... My own... or anyone else's.
Greatness of soul consists not so much in soaring high and in pressing forward, as in knowing how to adapt and limit oneself.
One thing I've always loved about the culture at Microsoft is there is nobody who is tougher on us, in terms of what we need to learn and do better, than the people in the company itself. You can walk down these halls, and they'll tell you, 'We need to do usability better, push this or that frontier.'
People may refuse to see the truth of our arguments, but they cannot evade the evidence of a holy life.
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