Nothing is more durable than the dynasty of Doubt; for he reigns in the hearts of all his people, but gives satisfaction to none of them, and yet he is the only despot who can never die, while any of his subjects live.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
Truth can hardly be expected to adapt herself to the crooked policy and wily sinuosities of worldly affairs; for truth, like light, travels only in straight lines.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Truth remains constant and unchanging, despite the manipulations and complexities of the world.
This quote emphasizes the idea that truth is an absolute concept that does not bend or conform to the often deceitful and convoluted nature of human affairs. Just as light travels in straight lines, truth remains straightforward and clear, suggesting that any attempts to distort it will ultimately fail.
Themes
TruthLightPolicyWorldlyAffairs
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate about ethics, I used this quote to highlight the importance of adhering to truth.
More from Charles Caleb Colton
All quotes βIt is astonishing how much more people are interested in lengthening life than improving it.
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The benevolent have the advantage of the envious, even in this present life; for the envious man is tormented not only by all the ill that befalls himself, but by all the good that happens to another; whereas the benevolent man is the better prepared to bear his own calamities unruffled, from the complacency and serenity he has secured from contemplating the prosperity of all around him.
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Happiness, that grand mistress of the ceremonies in the dance of life, impels us through all its mazes and meanderings, but leads none of us by the same route.
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Our minds are as different as our faces. We are all traveling to one destination: happiness, but few are going by the same road.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
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