--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And now an hour, maybe, has passed. And…" description: "\"“And now an hour, maybe, has passed. And they are both drunk: Kenny fairly, George very. But George is drunk in a good way, and one that he seldom achi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b7/christopher-isherwood-2302_communication_and-now-an-hour-maybe-has-passed-and-the_2306864.png" --- # And now an hour, maybe, has passed. And they are both… ![“And now an hour, maybe, has passed. And they are both drunk: Kenny fairly, George very. But George is drunk in a good way, and one that he seldom achieves. He tries to describe to himself what this kind of drunkenness is like. Well - to put it very crudely - it's like Plato; it's a dialogue. A…” quote by Christopher Isherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b7/christopher-isherwood-2302_communication_and-now-an-hour-maybe-has-passed-and-the_2306864.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b7/christopher-isherwood-2302_communication_and-now-an-hour-maybe-has-passed-and-the_2306864.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b7/christopher-isherwood-2302_communication_and-now-an-hour-maybe-has-passed-and-the_2306864.png) > ““And now an hour, maybe, has passed. And they are both drunk: Kenny fairly, George very. But George is drunk in a good way, and one that he seldom achieves. He tries to describe to himself what this kind of drunkenness is like. Well - to put it very crudely - it's like Plato; it's a dialogue. A dialogue between two people. Yes, but not a Platonic dialogue in the hair-splitting, word-twisting, one-up-to-me sense; not a mock-humble bitching match; not a debate on some dreary set theme. You can talk about anything and change the subject as often as you like. In fact, what really matters is not what you talk about, but the being together in this particular relationship. George can't imagine having a dialogue of this kind with a woman, because women can only talk in terms of the personal. A man of his own age would do, if there was some sort of polarity: for instance, if he was a Negro. You and your dialogue-partner have to be somehow opposites. Why? Because you have to be symbolic figures - like, in this case, Youth and Age. Why do you have to be symbolic? Because the dialogue is by its nature impersonal. It's a symbolic encounter. It doesn't involve either party personally. That's why, in a dialogue, you can say absolutely anything. Even the closest confidence, the deadliest secret, comes out objectively as a mere metaphor or illustration which could never be used against you.”” [Christopher Isherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-isherwood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage describes a deep, impersonal dialogue between two men that feels like a philosophical exchange, emphasizing symbolic roles over personal intimacy. **In simple terms:** A conversation that feels like a philosophical dialogue, detached from personal identity. Key Takeaway Seek relationships that allow open, symbolic exchange. Themes friendship dialogue symbolism masculinity philosophy Mood reflective introspective thoughtful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - male bonding - intellectual discussions - creative brainstorming - conflict resolution - artistic collaboration Key Concepts Platonic dialogue symbolic interaction impersonal communication Questions to Reflect On - How does symbolic dialogue differ from personal conversation? - Can impersonal exchange foster true understanding? A Different Perspective Such dialogues may exclude emotional depth and can alienate those seeking personal connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [“And now an hour, maybe, has passed. And they are both drunk: Kenny fairly, George very. 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Yes, but not a Platonic dialogue in the hair-splitting, word-twisting, one-up-to-me sense; not a mock-humble bitching match; not a debate on some dreary set theme. You can talk about anything and change the subject as often as you like. In fact, what really matters is not what you talk about, but the being together in this particular relationship. George can't imagine having a dialogue of this kind with a woman, because women can only talk in terms of the personal. A man of his own age would do, if there was some sort of polarity: for instance, if he was a Negro. You and your dialogue-partner have to be somehow opposites. Why? Because you have to be symbolic figures - like, in this case, Youth and Age. Why do you have to be symbolic? Because the dialogue is by its nature impersonal. It's a symbolic encounter. It doesn't involve either party personally. That's why, in a dialogue, you can say absolutely anything. 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