If one harbours anywhere in one's mind a nationalistic loyalty or hatred, certain facts, although in a sense known to be true, are inadmissible.
George OrwellRead
It is a mysterious thing, the loss of faith—as mysterious as faith itself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The loss of faith is as enigmatic and profound as faith itself, highlighting the complexity of belief.
In this quote, George Orwell emphasizes the enigmatic nature of both faith and its absence. He suggests that just as faith can be a deeply personal and often unfathomable experience, so too is the experience of losing that faith. This reflection prompts us to consider the profound emotional and philosophical implications that come with belief and its disappearance, which can impact individuals in unique and complex ways.
Themes
FaithLossMysteryBeliefPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about overcoming personal challenges, one might use this quote to illustrate the complexity of faith.
More from George Orwell
All quotes →The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
George OrwellRead
Political writing in our time consists almost entirely of prefabricated phrases bolted together like the pieces of a child's Meccano set. It is the unavoidable result of self-censorship. To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox.
George OrwellRead
Not to expose your true feelings to an adult seems to be instinctive from the age of seven or eight onwards.
George OrwellRead
As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents.
George OrwellRead
It is fatal to look hungry. It makes people want to kick you.
George OrwellRead
Similar quotes
Whether at work, at home or in public, we have been trained to believe that who we are at the core of our being is often unacceptable. As a result, we work diligently to live up to - and sometimes down to - what others have made us out to be, whether or not it is an accurate reflection of who we are.
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Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
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April 27. Incapable of living with people, of speaking. Complete immersion in myself, thinking of myself. Apathetic, witless, fearful. I have nothing to say to anyone - never.
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In the real world there is no nature vs. nurture argument, only an infinitely complex and moment-by-moment interaction between genetic and environmental effects
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The public good is in nothing more essentially interested, than in the protection of every individual's private rights.
William BlackstoneRead
The offering of [the body] is called a spiritual sacrifice because it is freely sacrificed through the Spirit, the Christian being uninfluenced by the constrainst of the Low or the fear of hell.
Martin LutherRead