QuoteProject
The mouth obeys poorly when the heart murmurs.
Voltaire
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote suggests that our true feelings often influence what we say, even if we try to hide them.

Voltaire's quote highlights the disconnect that can occur between our genuine emotions and the words we express. It implies that when our hearts feel deeply, it becomes challenging for our mouths to articulate anything contrary, hinting at the importance of authenticity in communication and the way our inner truths can often betray our spoken words.

Themes

EmotionCommunicationAuthenticityHeartExpression

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about honesty in relationships, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of speaking from the heart.

More from Voltaire

Prejudices are what fools use for reason.
VoltaireRead
He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend; provided, of course, he really is dead.
VoltaireRead
It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong.
VoltaireRead
It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.
VoltaireRead
We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies - it is the first law of nature.
VoltaireRead
It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.
VoltaireRead

Similar quotes

Flattery is telling the other person precisely what he thinks about himself.
Dale CarnegieRead
I saw that it was all over, put away in a box like a doll no longer cared for, the magical intimacy of our childhood together
Tennessee WilliamsRead
We often hear that people mean well: that so many just don't how to interact with people with disabilities. They're unsure of the 'right' reaction, so they default to condescension that makes them feel better in the face of their discomfort.
Stella YoungRead
A marriage is a private thing. It has its own wild laws, and secret histories, and savage acts, and what passes between married people is incomprehensible to outsiders. We look terrible to you, and severe, and you see our blood flying, but what we carry between us is hard-won, and we made it just as we wished it to be, just the color, just the shape.
Catherynne M. ValenteRead
Man can see his reflection in water only when he bends down close to it, and the heart of man, too, must lean down to the heart of his fellow; then it will see itself within his heart.
Hannah MoreRead
Well, wouldn't it have been easier if she'd just asked me whether I liked her better than you?" "Girls don't often ask questions like that," said Hermione. "Well, they should!" said Harry forcefully.
J. K. RowlingRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.