Human life Quote by George Eliot
““Even people whose lives have been made various by learning, sometimes find it hard to keep a fast hold on their habitual views of life, on their faith in the Invisible, nay, on the sense that their past joys and sorrows are a real experience, when they are suddenly transported to a new land, where the beings around them know nothing of their history, and share none of their ideas—where their mother earth shows another lap, and human life has other forms than those on which their souls have been nourished.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Middlemarch by George Eliot, 1871-72
When people move to a completely new culture, they may struggle to trust their past experiences and beliefs because the surrounding world offers no familiar reference points.
In simple terms: New environments can make old beliefs feel uncertain.
Key Takeaway
Seek connection and meaning despite cultural dislocation.
Themes
identity
culture shock
faith
memory
Mood
reflective
uncertain
hopeful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- immigration
- study abroad
- expatriate work
- travel
- colonial settlement
Key Concepts
existentialism
social adaptation
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you maintain a sense of self when everything around you changes?
- What practices help preserve personal meaning in new cultures?
A Different Perspective
Even with strong faith, sudden cultural rupture can erode confidence in personal history.
![“[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)
