Bodies Quote by George Eliot
“Character is not cut in marble - it is not something solid and unalterable. It is something living and changing, and may become diseased as our bodies do.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Middlemarch by George Eliot, 1871
Character is fluid, evolving with experience, and can become unhealthy like the body, requiring conscious care.
In simple terms: Character changes and can become unhealthy.
Key Takeaway
Nurture growth, address flaws.
Themes
identity
growth
impermanence
self‑care
psychology
Mood
introspective
motivational
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- personal development
- therapy
- education
- leadership
Key Concepts
fluidity
mortality
self‑reflection
Questions to Reflect On
- What habits shape your character?
- How do you repair a damaged aspect of yourself?
A Different Perspective
May underestimate societal constraints on character formation.
![“The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. [Fr., La cour est comme un edifice bati de marbre; je veux dire qu'elle est composee d'hommes fort durs mais fort polis.]” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fcf/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_built_the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marb_77288.jpg)
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
