They don't ask much of you. They only want you to hate the things you love and to love the things you despise.
Boris PasternakRead
He was a natural, and in the Russian way, tragically above these banalities.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on an individual's natural talent and the inherent tragedy in being above commonplace matters.
Boris Pasternak highlights the notion that some individuals possess an extraordinary natural talent that sets them apart, making them rise above ordinary concerns and trivialities. However, this elevation often comes with a sense of tragedy, suggesting that such greatness can lead to isolation or a disconnect from the mundane experiences of life.
Themes
Natural TalentTragedyIsolationGreatnessBanalities
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about personal achievements, one might reference this quote to illustrate the struggles of being exceptionally talented.
More from Boris Pasternak
All quotes βEven so, one step from my grave, I believe that cruelty, spite, The powers of darkness will in time, Be crushed by the spirit of light.
Boris PasternakRead
He is her glory. Any woman could say it. For every one of them, God is in her child. Mothers of great men must have been familiar with this feeling, but then, all women are mothers of great men -- it isn't their fault if life disappoints them later.
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Our evenings are farewells. Our parties are testaments. So that the secret stream of suffering. May warm the cold of life.
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The most extraordinary discoveries are made when the artist is overwhelmed by what he has to say.
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Oh, how one wishes sometimes to escape from the meaningless dullness of human eloquence, from all those sublime phrases, to take refuge in nature, apparently so inarticulate, or in the wordlessness of long, grinding labor, of sound sleep, of true music, or of a human understanding rendered speechless by emotion!
Boris PasternakRead
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