A-passage-to-india Quote by E.M. Forster
““Sensuality, as long as it is straightforward did not repel him, but this derived sensuality - the sort that classes a mistress among motor-cars if she is beautiful, and among eye-flies if she isn't - was alien to his own emotions . . . It was, in a new form, the old, old trouble that eats the heart out of every civilization: snobbery, the desire for possessions, creditable appendages; and it is to escape this rather than the lusts of the flesh that the saints retreat into the Himalayas.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: A Passage to India by E.M. Forster, 1924
Desires for status and possessions corrupt authentic emotion, leading to alienation; true escape lies in renouncing material cravings.
In simple terms: Material desire corrupts true feeling; escape by renouncing.
Key Takeaway
Seek authenticity over status.
Themes
snobbery
materialism
spirituality
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- career ambition
- consumer culture
- personal relationships
- spiritual retreats
Key Concepts
psychology
social critique
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives your desire for status?
- Can you find fulfillment without material excess?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize asceticism without addressing practical needs.
