Hug the shore; let others try the deep.
If ye despise the human race, and mortal arms, yet remember that there is a God who is mindful of right and wrong.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of morality and the divine oversight of human actions, regardless of one's feelings towards humanity.
Virgil's quote points to a fundamental belief in a higher power that watches over human behavior, serving as a reminder that even when one feels disillusioned or contemptuous towards humanity and its flaws, there exists a divine presence that upholds morality and justice. This prompts individuals to reflect on their actions and the inherent worth of moral principles, encouraging a sense of accountability towards a greater good.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a philosophical discussion about the nature of humanity and morality.
More from Virgil
All quotes βEven virtue is fairer when it appears in a beautiful person.
Happy the man who has been able to learn the causes of things.
Endure the present, and watch for better things.
Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance.
Fear is proof of a degenerate mind.
Similar quotes
I'm a novelist, so I can't write about ideas unless they're attached to people.
The church would betray its own love for God and its fidelity to the gospel if it stopped being . . . a defender of the rights of the poor . . . a humanizer of every legitimate struggle to achieve a more just society . . . that prepares the way for the true reign of God in history.
Your mind is the knife that cuts the continuum of space and time into neat slices of linear experience.
A lifelong intimacy with animals has got me out of the common notion that they are automata with a slight infusion of intelligence in their composition. The mind in beast and bird, as in man, is the main thing.
The flesh is the surface of the unknown.
Death is the ultimate enemy - and I find nothing reproachable in those who rage mightily against the dying of the light.