--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had, as I told you, a great passion…" description: "\"I had, as I told you, a great passion while still almost a child. When it was over, I divided myself in two, placing on one side the soul I kept for Ar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/gustave-flaubert-354_art_i-had-as-i-told-you-a-great-passion-whil_2335061.jpg" --- # I had, as I told you, a great passion while still almost a… ![“I had, as I told you, a great passion while still almost a child. When it was over, I divided myself in two, placing on one side the soul I kept for Art, and on the other, my body, which would have to fend for itself.” quote by Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/gustave-flaubert-354_art_i-had-as-i-told-you-a-great-passion-whil_2335061.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/gustave-flaubert-354_art_i-had-as-i-told-you-a-great-passion-whil_2335061.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/gustave-flaubert-354_art_i-had-as-i-told-you-a-great-passion-whil_2335061.jpg) > “I had, as I told you, a great passion while still almost a child. When it was over, I divided myself in two, placing on one side the soul I kept for Art, and on the other, my body, which would have to fend for itself.” [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author describes a youthful, intense love for art that splits his identity, separating creative spirit from physical survival. **In simple terms:** A childlike passion for art divided his soul and body. Key Takeaway Recognize and balance creative drive with practical needs. Themes art identity duality passion self Mood reflective melancholic introspective Type literary philosophical psychological When to use this quote - artistic pursuit - career choices - personal growth - mental health - life transitions Key Concepts existentialism psychology creative tension Questions to Reflect On - How do you separate your creative self from daily responsibilities? - What costs arise when you neglect either side? A Different Perspective Balancing art and survival can lead to burnout or neglect of one side. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Child Divided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-divided-5631683/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Divided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divided/) [Great passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-passion/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Placing Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/placing-soul-368122/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) ## Related quotes > [Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit. 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It speaks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/passion-it-lies-in-all-of-us-sleeping-waiting-and-though-unwanted/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [I soon realized that I didn't have a great passion for academia and I didn't like sitting in front of the computer all day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-hashimoto/i-soon-realized-that-i-didn-t-have-a-great-passion-for-academia-and-i/) [Jacob Hashimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-hashimoto/) > [Design the life you want to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-roy/design-the-life-you-want-to-live/) [Rachel Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-roy/) > [When one great passion seizes possession of the soul all other feelings are crowded out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-maud-montgomery/when-one-great-passion-seizes-possession-of-the-soul-all-other/) [Lucy Maud Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-maud-montgomery/) ## More by Gustave Flaubert > [As for the piano, the faster her fingers flew over it, the more he marveled. 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Healthier than heat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/cold-healthier-than-heat/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [And indeed, what is better than to sit by one's fireside in the evening with a book, while the wind beats against the window…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/and-indeed-what-is-better-than-to-sit-by-one-s-fireside-in-the/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [One's existence should be in two parts: one should live like a bourgeois and think like a demigod.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/one-s-existence-should-be-in-two-parts-one-should-live-like-a/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [Emma was no asleep, she was pretending to be asleep; and, while he was dozing off at her side, she lay awake, dreaming other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/emma-was-no-asleep-she-was-pretending-to-be-asleep-and-while-he-was/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) [Explore all 526 Gustave Flaubert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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