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Inspiration Quote by George Eliot

“All people of broad, strong sense have an instinctive repugnance to the men of maxims; because such people early discern that the mysterious complexity of our life is not to be embraced by maxims, and that to lace ourselves up in formulas of that sort is to repress all the divine promptings and…” quote by George Eliot
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““All people of broad, strong sense have an instinctive repugnance to the men of maxims; because such people early discern that the mysterious complexity of our life is not to be embraced by maxims, and that to lace ourselves up in formulas of that sort is to repress all the divine promptings and inspirations that spring from growing insight and sympathy.””

George Eliot

About This Quote

Source Book: Middlemarch by George Eliot, 1871

Broad, intuitive people resist rigid maxims because life’s complexity cannot be captured by simple formulas, and such formulas stifle divine inspiration and empathy.

In simple terms: People resist simple rules that ignore life's complexity.

Key Takeaway

Embrace complexity, avoid over‑simplification.

Themes

complexity intuition creativity

Mood

thoughtful reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • personal growth
  • creative work
  • ethical decision‑making

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology spirituality

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you balance intuition with structure?
  • When might a maxim be helpful?
A Different Perspective

Simplicity can be useful; over‑reliance may limit insight.

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