QuoteProject
There cannot live a more unhappy creature than an ill-natured old man, who is neither capable of receiving pleasures, nor sensible of conferring them on others.
William Temple
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

An ill-natured old man is unable to find joy or share it with others, resulting in a profoundly unhappy existence.

This quote reflects the profound unhappiness that can accompany a negative disposition, particularly in old age. It suggests that those who are ill-tempered are not only deprived of personal joy and pleasure but also lack the ability to bring happiness to those around them, leading to a life filled with dissatisfaction and isolation.

Themes

UnhappinessOld AgeIll-NaturedJoyPleasure

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be shared during a discussion about the importance of maintaining a positive attitude throughout life.

More from William Temple

We shall say without hesitation that the atheist who is moved by love is moved by the Spirit of God; an atheist who lives by love is saved by his faith in the God whose existence (under that name) he denies.
William TempleRead
The most influential of all educational factors is the conversation in a child's home.
William TempleRead
Who ever converses among old books will be hard to please among the new.
William TempleRead

Similar quotes

Nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.
Jane AustenRead
It took me whole decades to appreciate the depth and true value of yoga. Sacred texts supported my discoveries, but it was not they that signposted the way. What I learned through yoga, I found out through yoga.
B.K.S. IyengarRead
I thought my fire was out, and stirred the ashes…. I burnt my fingers.
Antonio MachadoRead
Indeed, your biggest challenge may be to fully harness your strengths. You may be so busy trying to appear like a zestful, reward-sensitive extrovert that you undervalue your own talents, or feel underestimated by those around you. But when you’re focused on a project that you care about, you probably find that your energy is boundless.
Susan CainRead
The world is his who can see through its pretension. What deafness, what stone-blind custom, what overgrown error you behold, is there only by sufferance,--by your sufferance. See it to be a lie, and you have already dealt it its mortal blow.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRead
I would rather speak the truth to ten men than blandishments and lying to a million. Try it, ye who think there is nothing in it! Try what it is to speak with God behind you, to speak so as to be only the arrow in the bow which the Almighty draws.
Henry Ward BeecherRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.