The Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, is seen as the beginning of modern depravity.
Umberto EcoRead
I developed a passion for the Middle Ages the same way some people develop a passion for coconuts.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote humorously compares an unexpected passion for the Middle Ages to a quirky love for coconuts.
Umberto Eco's quote reflects on the unpredictable nature of human interests and passions. By likening his fascination with the Middle Ages to a whimsical affection for coconuts, he emphasizes that such enthusiasm can arise from the most unexpected places, highlighting the personal and sometimes irrational basis of our interests.
Themes
PassionInterestsHumorMiddle AgesCoconuts
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about following your passions, one might use this quote to illustrate the unpredictable nature of interests.
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All quotes βI think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early poetry, and bad poets publish it. Thankfully I gave up rather quickly.
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But why do some people support [the heretics]?" "Because it serves their purposes, which concern the faith rarely, and more often the conquest of power." "Is that why the church of Rome accuses all its adversaries of heresy?" "That is why, and that is also why it recognizes as orthodoxy any heresy it can bring back under its own control or must accept because the heresy has become too strong.
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You die, but most of what you have accumulated will not be lost; you are leaving a message in a bottle.
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"Then we are living in a place abandoned by God," I said, disheartened. "Have you found any places where God would have felt at home?" William asked me, looking down from his great height.
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The lunatic is all idΓ©e fixe, and whatever he comes across confirms his lunacy. You can tell him by the liberties he takes with common sense, by his flashes of inspiration, and by the fact that sooner or later he brings up the Templars.
Umberto EcoRead
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