It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.
Victor HugoRead
Nothing is so stifling as symmetry. Symmetry is boredom, the quintessence of mourning. Despair yawns. There is something more terrible than a hell of suffering - a hell of boredom.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Symmetry represents order and predictability, which can lead to a lack of excitement and creativity in life.
Victor Hugo expresses how the pursuit of perfect symmetry can lead to a monotonous existence. He suggests that while suffering may be painful, the more profound torment comes from a lack of stimulation and engagement, resulting in boredom. By equating symmetry with sadness and despair, he emphasizes the importance of embracing chaos and imperfection as integral to a vibrant and meaningful life.
Themes
SymmetryBoredomDespairSufferingCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about embracing chaos and creativity over perfection.
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At that moment of love, a moment when passion is absolutely silent under omnipotence of ecstasy, Marius, pure seraphic Marius, would have been more capable of visiting a woman of the streets than of raising Cosetteβs dress above the ankle. Once on a moonlit night, Cosette stopped to pick up something from the ground, her dress loosened and revealed the swelling of her breasts. Marius averted his eyes.
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Thought is the work of the intellect, reverie is its self-indulgence. To substitute day-dreaming for thought is to confuse a poison with a source of nourishment.
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Taste is the common sense of genius.
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Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
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