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A man may meet a woman and be shocked by her ugliness…

“A man may meet a woman and be shocked by her ugliness. Soon, if she is natural and unaffected, her expression makes him overlook the faults of her features. He begins to find her charming, it enters his head that she might be loved, and a week later he is living in hope. The following week he has…” quote by Stendhal
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““A man may meet a woman and be shocked by her ugliness. Soon, if she is natural and unaffected, her expression makes him overlook the faults of her features. He begins to find her charming, it enters his head that she might be loved, and a week later he is living in hope. The following week he has been snubbed into despair, and the week afterwards he has gone mad. (Chapter 17)””

Stendhal

About This Quote

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

A woman's natural charm can spark hope, then despair, leading to madness.

In simple terms: Charm can cause emotional rollercoasters.

Key Takeaway

Beware fleeting infatuations.

Themes

love hope despair

Mood

melancholic intense

Type

literary psychological

When to use this quote

  • dating
  • relationship counseling
  • self‑care

Key Concepts

psychology of attraction emotional volatility

Questions to Reflect On

  • Why do we cling to hope?
  • How to recognize unhealthy cycles?
A Different Perspective

Emotions can be manipulated.

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