Fifteen years Quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald
““Fifteen years of yes's had beaten Mrs. Gilbert. Fifteen further years of that incessant unaffirmative affirmative, accompanied by the perpetual flicking of ash-mushrooms from thirty-two thousand cigars, had broken her. To this husband of hers she made the last concession of married life, which is more complete, more irrevocable, than the first—she listened to him. She told herself that the years had brought her tolerance—actually they had slain what measure she had ever possessed of moral courage.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Great Gatsby, 1925
A reflection on how years of compromise erode moral courage, culminating in a final, irrevocable concession to a spouse.
In simple terms: Years of compromise weaken moral courage.
Key Takeaway
Beware of losing integrity over time.
Themes
marriage
compromise
morality
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- long-term relationships
- career sacrifices
- family dynamics
Key Concepts
ethical decay
personal agency
Questions to Reflect On
- What compromises have you made that cost you?
- Can moral courage be reclaimed?
A Different Perspective
The passage may overgeneralize gender roles.
![“Years ago I was asked this question: Do terrorists fear anything? I said, 'I suspect they would fear a morally strong America.' They would know that a morally strong America would not be dislodged. You can always appeal to a point of vulnerability which would break a people up. [Terrorists] don't…” quote by Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1a4/ravi-zacharias-1158_america_years-ago-i-was-asked-this-question-do-t_48168.jpg)
