As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; And thus the native hue of resolution Is slicked o'er with the pale cast of thought
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on how overthinking can lead to hesitation and fear in decision-making.
In this quote from Hamlet, Shakespeare suggests that our conscience and the ability to think deeply about our choices can inhibit our courage. When faced with difficult decisions, the weight of our thoughts and moral considerations can deter us from taking action, causing us to become fearful and indecisive.
Themes
ConscienceCourageResolutionFearThought
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a motivational talk about overcoming fear and hesitation.
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