The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
The world is quickly bored by the recital of misfortune, and willing avoids the sight of distress.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People become indifferent to constant expressions of suffering and prefer to avoid facing it.
W. Somerset Maugham's quote reflects on the human tendency to grow weary of hearing about misfortune and distress. It suggests that while suffering is an inherent part of life, the continuous recounting of it can lead to a desensitization, where individuals choose to turn away rather than engage with or empathize with the pain of others.
Themes
MisfortuneDistressBoredomHuman NatureEmpathy
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about mental health awareness, this quote can underscore the importance of addressing rather than ignoring distress.
More from W. Somerset Maugham
All quotes βCronshaw stopped for a moment to drink. He had pondered for twenty years the problem whether he loved liquor because it made him talk or whether he loved conversation because it made him thirsty.
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I don't think of the past. The only thing that matters is the everlasting present.
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There in the mist, enormous, majestic, silent and terrible, stood the Great Wall of China. Solitarily, with the indifference of nature herself, it crept up the mountain side and slipped down to the depth of the valley.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
For the complete life, the perfect pattern includes old age as well as youth and maturity.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
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