The entire world is my temple, and a very fine one too, if I'm not mistaken, and I'll never lack priests to serve it as long as there are men.
Desiderius ErasmusRead
War is sweet to those who haven't tasted it. Dulce bellum inexpertis.
Interpretation
War may seem appealing to those who have never experienced its true horrors.
This quote by Desiderius Erasmus highlights the naive romanticism often associated with war by those who do not know its true nature. It suggests that individuals who have never experienced the realities of battle may view it as glorious or sweet, while in reality, it is filled with suffering and devastation that can only be understood through direct experience.
In practice
Using this quote in a debate about the romanticism of war in literature.
The entire world is my temple, and a very fine one too, if I'm not mistaken, and I'll never lack priests to serve it as long as there are men.
When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.
You'll see certain Pythagorean whose belief in communism of property goes to such lengths that they pick up anything lying about unguarded, and make off with it without a qualm of conscience as if it had come to them by law.
[N]o party is any fun unless seasoned with folly.
If you look at history you'll find that no state has been so plagued by its rulers as when power has fallen into the hands of some dabbler in philosophy or literary addict.
Fortune favours the audacious.
You know, that might be the answer - to act boastfully about something we ought to be ashamed of. That's a trick that never seems to fail.
Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.
But I’ve been turning over in my mind the question of nostalgia, and whether I suffer from it. I certainly don’t get soggy at the memory of some childhood knickknack; nor do I want to deceive myself sentimentally about something that wasn’t even true at the time—love of the old school, and so on. But if nostalgia means the powerful recollection of strong emotions—and a regret that such feelings are no longer present in our lives—then I plead guilty.
A steady patriot of the world alone, The friend of every country but his own.
Bad philosophers may have a certain influence; good philosophers, never.
Heaven is a state of mind, not a location, since Spirit is everywhere and in everything.
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