Fear Quote by Charlotte Brontë
““Take the matter as you find it ask no questions, utter no remonstrances; it is your best wisdom. You expected bread and you have got a stone: break your teeth on it, and don't shriek because the nerves are martyrised; do not doubt that your mental stomach - if you have such a thing - is strong as an ostrich's; the stone will digest. You held out your hand for an egg, and fate put into it a scorpion. Show no consternation; close your fingers firmly upon the gift; let it sting through your palm. Never mind; in time, after your hand and arm have swelled and quivered long with torture, the squeezed scorpion will die, and you will have learned the great lesson how to endure without a sob.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Jane Eyre, 1847
The passage uses a metaphor of a painful gift to illustrate enduring hardship without complaint, suggesting resilience and acceptance of fate’s harshness.
In simple terms: Endure suffering stoically.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate inner strength.
Themes
resilience
acceptance
adversity
stoicism
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- personal trials
- health challenges
- life setbacks
Key Concepts
metaphor
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What can you learn from pain without losing yourself?
- How do you balance acceptance with action?
A Different Perspective
Stoic endurance may suppress needed emotional processing.
