What a test that is: more than devotion, admiration, passion. If you long and long for someone’s company you love them.
Iris MurdochRead
The theatre is certainly a place for learning about the brevity of human glory: oh all those wonderful glittering absolutely vanished pantomime! Now I shall abjure magic and become a hermit : put myself in a situation where I can honestly say that I have nothing else to do but to learn to be good.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the transient nature of fame and emphasizes the importance of self-improvement over seeking glory.
Iris Murdoch's quote contemplates the fleetingness of human achievements and the superficiality of glory depicted in theatre. She suggests that instead of chasing after ephemeral success, one should focus on personal growth and moral development, choosing a path of solitude to reflect and learn how to be good in a deeper, more meaningful way.
Themes
TheatreGloryLearningSelf-ImprovementSolitude
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in a discussion about the importance of inner growth over external recognition.
More from Iris Murdoch
All quotes →The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.
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Man's creative struggle, his search for wisdom and truth, is a love story.
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All art deals with the absurd and aims at the simple. Good art speaks truth, indeed is truth, perhaps the only truth.
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A bad review is even less important than whether it is raining in Patagonia.
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Perhaps when distant people on other planets pick up some wavelength of ours all they hear is a continuous scream.
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