All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own.
Johann Wolfgang Von GoetheRead
The suffering may be moral or physical; and in my opinion it is just as absurd to call a man a coward who destroys himself, as to call a man a coward who dies of a malignant fever.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that self-destruction and dying from illness should not be viewed differently regarding cowardice.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe highlights the complexities of suffering, whether it be moral or physical. He argues that labeling a person a coward for choosing self-destruction is as erroneous as labeling someone cowardly for succumbing to a disease. This quote prompts us to reconsider how we judge the choices of others, especially regarding their pain and suffering.
Themes
SufferingCowardiceSelf-DestructionIllnessMorality
In practice
Example use cases
In a mental health awareness seminar, this quote can highlight the struggles of those facing severe emotional pain.
More from Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
All quotes →Destiny grants us our wishes, but in its own way, in order to give us something beyond our wishes.
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There is a courtesy of the heart; it is allied to love. From its springs the purest courtesy in the outward behavior.
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I am amazed to see how deliberately I have entangled myself step by step. To have seen my position so clearly, and yet to have acted so like a child!
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Seldom in the business and transactions of ordinary life, do we find the sympathy we want.
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Know thyself? If I knew myself I would run away.
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