Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
W. H. AudenRead
'Healing,' Papa would tell me, 'is not a science, but the intuitive art of wooing nature.'
Interpretation
What this quote means
Healing is a natural process that requires sensitivity and intuition rather than strict scientific methodology.
W. H. Auden's quote emphasizes that healing is an art that transcends scientific precision; it involves engaging with nature and understanding its rhythms and nuances intuitively. Rather than relying solely on empirical data or technical knowledge, healing requires a compassionate approach that recognizes the complexities of life and health, offering a more holistic understanding of recovery and well-being.
Themes
HealingNatureArtIntuitiveHealth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can inspire healthcare practitioners to adopt a more compassionate approach in their practices.
More from W. H. Auden
All quotes βThat the speech of self-disclosure should be translatable seems to me very odd, but I am convinced that it is. The conclusion that I draw is that the only quality which all human being without exception possess is uniqueness: any characteristic, on the other hand, which one individual can be recognized as having in common with another, like red hair or the English language, implies the existence of other individual qualities which this classification excludes.
W. H. AudenRead
Nobody knows what the cause is, though some pretend they do; it like some hidden assassin waiting to strike at you. Childless women get it, and men when they retire; it as if there had to be some outlet for their foiled creative fire.
W. H. AudenRead
History is, strictly speaking, the study of questions; the study of answers belongs to anthropology and sociology.
W. H. AudenRead
Music is the best means we have of digesting time.
W. H. AudenRead
Murder is unique in that it abolishes the party it injures, so that society has to take the place of the victim and on his behalf demand atonement or grant forgiveness; it is the one crime in which society has a direct interest.
W. H. AudenRead
Similar quotes
Chronic disease like a troublesome relative is something you can learn to manage but never quite escape.
Mary Tyler MooreRead
Just as food causes chronic disease, it can be the most powerful cure
HippocratesRead
Regularity is a key: going to bed at the same time, waking up at the same time no matter what. But I think, also, it's not just about quantity - that's what we've been discovering. It's also about quality.
Matthew WalkerRead
This is what people don't understand: obesity is a symptom of poverty. It's not a lifestyle choice where people are just eating and not exercising. It's because kids - and this is the problem with school lunch right now - are getting sugar, fat, empty calories - lots of calories - but no nutrition.
Tom ColicchioRead
It is easy to lay the blame on successive governments for failing to address health as a fundamental right for the Indian people. But the real tragedy is that we, the people of India, have not taken our government to task for this catastrophic failure.
Vikram PatelRead
Three decades into this crisis, let us set our sights on achieving the "three zeros" zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.
Ban Ki-MoonRead