Go forward with joyful confidence.
George EliotRead
She thought it was part of the hardship of her life that there was laid upon her the burthen of larger wants than others seemed to feel – that she had to endure this wide hopeless yearning for that something, whatever it was, that was greatest and best on this earth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the struggle of longing for something greater in life, which can be both a burden and a source of motivation.
George Eliot expresses a profound understanding of human desire and the pain that comes with a relentless yearning for something more meaningful and fulfilling in life. The character's awareness of her larger wants emphasizes a unique existential burden, suggesting that such yearning is a part of the human experience that can inspire both deep suffering and a quest for greater purpose.
Themes
YearningDesireLifeFulfillmentBurden
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a motivational speech about the importance of pursuing one's dreams.
More from George Eliot
All quotes →You must love your work, and not be always looking over the edge of it, wanting your play to begin. And the other is, you must not be ashamed of your work, and think it would be more honorable to you to be doing something else. You must have a pride in your own work and in learning to do it well.
George EliotRead
Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music.
George EliotRead
I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music.
George EliotRead
Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them: they can be injured by us, they can be wounded; they know all our penitence, all our aching sense that their place is empty, all the kisses we bestow on the smallest relic of their presence.
George EliotRead
Perhaps the most delightful friendships are those in which there is much agreement, much disputation, and yet more personal liking.
George EliotRead
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