Abstract Quote by Ernest Hemingway
“Abstract words such as glory, honor, courage, or hallow were obscene beside the concrete names of villages, the numbers of roads, the names of rivers, the numbers of regiments and the dates.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway, 1929
Concrete details of place and numbers outweigh abstract virtues, making them seem irrelevant.
In simple terms: Specific facts matter more than lofty words.
Key Takeaway
Focus on tangible realities.
Themes
realism
war
human experience
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- military reporting
- historical analysis
- urban planning
- logistics
- memory preservation
Key Concepts
existentialism
materialism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance ideals with practical details?
- When do abstract values become essential?
A Different Perspective
Abstract ideals can inspire but may feel disconnected from lived reality.
![“As well as the [League of Nations] delegates themselves and their suites, there were innumerable campaigners of one sort and another, male and female, clerical and lay, young and old; all with some notion to publicise, some pet solution to offer, some organisation to promote. They gathered in…” quote by Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8b8/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_league-of-nations_as-well-as-the-league-of-nations-delegat_1201683.jpg)
