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Nailed to the beloved body like a slave to a cross, I have…

“Nailed to the beloved body like a slave to a cross, I have learned some secrets of life which are now dimmed in my memory by the operation of the same law which ordains that the convalescent, once cured, ceases to understand the mysterious truths laid bare by illness, and that the prisoner, set…” quote by Marguerite Yourcenar
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““Nailed to the beloved body like a slave to a cross, I have learned some secrets of life which are now dimmed in my memory by the operation of the same law which ordains that the convalescent, once cured, ceases to understand the mysterious truths laid bare by illness, and that the prisoner, set free, forgets his torture, or the conqueror, his triumph passed, forgets his glory.””

Marguerite Yourcenar

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Illness and liberation reveal truths that fade once the condition ends; people forget lessons learned in hardship.

In simple terms: Hardship teaches truths that are easily forgotten after relief.

Key Takeaway

Value lessons learned during hardship.

Themes

transience memory hardship wisdom humility

Mood

contemplative melancholic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • recovering from illness
  • post‑trauma reflection
  • personal growth
  • historical analysis

Key Concepts

ephemeral knowledge psychology of forgetting human resilience spiritual insight

Questions to Reflect On

  • What truths have you forgotten after a crisis?
  • How can we retain lessons from difficult times?
A Different Perspective

Memory of hardship fades quickly.

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