A man at work, making something which he feels will exist because he is working at it and wills it, is exercising the energies of his mind and soul as well as of his body. Memory and imagination help him as he works.
William MorrisRead
How often it consoles me to think of barbarism once more flooding the world, and real feelings and passions, however rudimentary, taking the place of our wretched hypocrisies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a desire for authentic emotions over societal pretenses.
In this quote, William Morris expresses a profound longing for the authenticity of raw, genuine feelings and passions, even if they are simplistic or primitive, to replace the complexities and hypocrisies of civilized society. He suggests that in times of chaos and 'barbarism,' there might be a return to emotional honesty, which he finds comforting compared to the dishonesty often present in cultured interactions.
Themes
AuthenticityEmotionsSocietyHypocrisyBarbarism
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared in a discussion about the importance of being true to oneself in today's world.
More from William Morris
All quotes →It is right and necessary that all should have work to do which shall be worth doing and be of itself pleasant to do, and which should be done under such conditions as would make it neither over-wearisome nor over-anxious.
William MorrisRead
I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name.
William MorrisRead
With the arrogance of youth, I determined to do no less than to transform the world with Beauty. If I have succeeded in some small way, if only in one small corner of the world, amongst the men and women I love, then I shall count myself blessed, and blessed, and blessed, and the work goes on.
William MorrisRead
A good way to rid one's self of a sense of discomfort is to do something. That uneasy, dissatisfied feeling is actual force vibrating out of order; it may be turned to practical account by giving proper expression to its creative character.
William MorrisRead
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