--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is nothing so slipperily alluring…" description: "\"There is nothing so slipperily alluring as sadness; we become sad in the first place by having nothing stirring to do; we continue in it, because we ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/herman-melville-162_alluring_there-is-nothing-so-slipperily-alluring_1548598.jpg" --- # There is nothing so slipperily alluring as sadness; we… ![“There is nothing so slipperily alluring as sadness; we become sad in the first place by having nothing stirring to do; we continue in it, because we have found a snug sofa at last.” quote by Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/herman-melville-162_alluring_there-is-nothing-so-slipperily-alluring_1548598.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/herman-melville-162_alluring_there-is-nothing-so-slipperily-alluring_1548598.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/herman-melville-162_alluring_there-is-nothing-so-slipperily-alluring_1548598.jpg) > “There is nothing so slipperily alluring as sadness; we become sad in the first place by having nothing stirring to do; we continue in it, because we have found a snug sofa at last.” [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sadness can become a comforting habit when there is no engaging activity, leading to complacency. **In simple terms:** Boredom can turn into a cozy sadness. Key Takeaway Seek purposeful engagement. Themes sadness habit comfort boredom Mood melancholic contemplative Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - career stagnation - idle evenings - mental health - creative blocks Key Concepts psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What activities could replace this “snug sofa”? - How does boredom fuel melancholy? A Different Perspective Escaping sadness may require confronting uncomfortable truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alluring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alluring/) [Alluring Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alluring-sadness-5782765/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad/) [Sad Place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad-place-539977/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Snug Sofa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snug-sofa-5782766/) [Sofa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sofa/) [Sofas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sofas/) [Stirring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stirring/) ## Related quotes > [We become sad in the first place because we have nothing stirring to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/we-become-sad-in-the-first-place-because-we-have-nothing-stirring-to/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [For interiors, if you have a basic sofa, you can add fun throw pillows, and cool lighting to make the space more interesting. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-brent/for-interiors-if-you-have-a-basic-sofa-you-can-add-fun-throw-pillows/) [Jeremiah Brent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-brent/) > [My apartment's only about a block away." "Isn't that handy." "Fate," he countered as he took a seat on the sofa and made himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/my-apartment-s-only-about-a-block-away-isn-t-that-handy-fate-he/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [I don't want everybody to see exactly where I live, what my sofa or my fireplace looks like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/i-don-t-want-everybody-to-see-exactly-where-i-live-what-my-sofa-or-my/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book, and a cup of coffee?...Was ever anything so civil?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/what-on-earth-could-be-more-luxurious-than-a-sofa-a-book-and-a-cup-of/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [You can change the feel of your sofa by adding a thick, cozy throw and playing a couple of classic pillows off a more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/you-can-change-the-feel-of-your-sofa-by-adding-a-thick-cozy-throw-and/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [Just say up on the hill is the meaning of life and someone knew it and they wanted everyone else to enjoy it. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/just-say-up-on-the-hill-is-the-meaning-of-life-and-someone-knew-it/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [I want a sofa, as I want a friend, upon which I can repose familiarly. If you can't have intimate terms and freedom with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/i-want-a-sofa-as-i-want-a-friend-upon-which-i-can-repose-familiarly/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Why don’t you come up and have a little ... scotch and sofa?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-west/why-don-t-you-come-up-and-have-a-little-scotch-and-sofa/) [Mae West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-west/) > [When you buy things that are expensive, like a sofa or something that really feels like an investment, you need to keep it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/when-you-buy-things-that-are-expensive-like-a-sofa-or-something-that/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [Of all our sunny world, i wish only for a garden sofa where a cat is sunning itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-s-dergran/of-all-our-sunny-world-i-wish-only-for-a-garden-sofa-where-a-cat-is/) [Edith Södergran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-s-dergran/) > [The hardest distance is always from the sofa to the front door](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erki-nool/the-hardest-distance-is-always-from-the-sofa-to-the-front-door/) [Erki Nool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erki-nool/) > [People think, 'Oh, I'm loving myself by sitting on this sofa for four hours.' Love yourself enough to get up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sweeney/people-think-oh-i-m-loving-myself-by-sitting-on-this-sofa-for-four/) [Alison Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sweeney/) > [So many programs you watch on the sofa, But the real program sit on top of your shoulders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-be-lo/so-many-programs-you-watch-on-the-sofa-but-the-real-program-sit-on/) [One Be Lo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/one-be-lo/) > [Beware of addictive medicines. Everything in moderation. This applies particularly to the Internet and your sofa. The physical world is ultimately the source of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-koblin/beware-of-addictive-medicines-everything-in-moderation-this-applies/) [Aaron Koblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-koblin/) ## More by Herman Melville > [“and man, though idiotic, and knowing not what he does, yet full of the sweet things of love and gratitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/and-man-though-idiotic-and-knowing-not-what-he-does-yet-full-of-the/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“But were the coming narrative to reveal in any instance, the complete abasement of poor Starbuck's fortitude, scarce might I have the heart to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/but-were-the-coming-narrative-to-reveal-in-any-instance-the-complete/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“(On Ralph Waldo Emerson)I love all men who dive. 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For hardly have we mortals by long toilings extracted from this world's vast bulk its small but valuable sperm; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/yet-this-is-life-for-hardly-have-we-mortals-by-long-toilings/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [I never fancied broiling fowls; - though once broiled, judiciously buttered, and judgmatically salted and peppered, there is no one who will speak more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/i-never-fancied-broiling-fowls-though-once-broiled-judiciously/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [War should be carried on like a monsoon; one changeless determination of every particle towards the one unalterable aim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/war-should-be-carried-on-like-a-monsoon-one-changeless-determination/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [Genius is full of trash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/genius-is-full-of-trash/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) [Explore all 1,009 Herman Melville quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) ## More Alluring quotes > [The ascent of any route begins, in dreams at least, the autumn before. 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With a force mightier than gravity, it attracts the eye to its shimmering red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-noble-wilford/mars-tugs-at-the-human-imagination-like-no-other-planet-with-a-force/) [John Noble Wilford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-noble-wilford/) > [“Nothing overdone, nothing racy, which made her all the more alluring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ablow/nothing-overdone-nothing-racy-which-made-her-all-the-more-alluring/) [Keith Ablow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ablow/) > [Soft addictions are an alluring, seductive aspect of our culture - they are easy to attain and socially acceptable, they are even encouraged in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-wright/soft-addictions-are-an-alluring-seductive-aspect-of-our-culture-they/) [Judith Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-wright/) > [“Modesty has, and will remain, an alluring trait because where egoism falters, humility conquers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-paula/modesty-has-and-will-remain-an-alluring-trait-because-where-egoism/) [Andy Paula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-paula/) > [When I was a kid, I always had a big thing for Dannii Minogue. Initially I liked Kylie, but I quickly moved on to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-buchan/when-i-was-a-kid-i-always-had-a-big-thing-for-dannii-minogue/) [Andrew Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-buchan/) > [“I didn't want to be someone pretending to be a woman; I wanted to know what it was like to be a sexual woman...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-angelina-birch/i-didn-t-want-to-be-someone-pretending-to-be-a-woman-i-wanted-to-know/) [Jessica Angelina Birch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-angelina-birch/) > [Depression is so treacherous - it can be so alluring as well as punishing. After all, it's yours and yours alone - no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margo-jefferson/depression-is-so-treacherous-it-can-be-so-alluring-as-well-as/) [Margo Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margo-jefferson/) > [“The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. 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It's the slave quality that I find very alluring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/and-i-particularly-like-the-whole-thing-of-being-boss-boss-and/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) [Browse all 105 Alluring quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alluring/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is nothing so slipperily alluring as sadness; we become sad in the first place by having nothing stirring to do; we continue in it, because we have found a snug sofa at last.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Herman Melville" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/there-is-nothing-so-slipperily-alluring-as-sadness-we-become-sad-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alluring" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/there-is-nothing-so-slipperily-alluring-as-sadness-we-become-sad-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/herman-melville-162_alluring_there-is-nothing-so-slipperily-alluring_1548598.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/herman-melville-162_alluring_there-is-nothing-so-slipperily-alluring_1548598.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/herman-melville-162_alluring_there-is-nothing-so-slipperily-alluring_1548598.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is nothing so slipperily alluring as sadness; we become sad in the first place by having nothing…” — Herman Melville", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Herman Melville", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is nothing so slipperily alluring...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/there-is-nothing-so-slipperily-alluring-as-sadness-we-become-sad-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/there-is-nothing-so-slipperily-alluring-as-sadness-we-become-sad-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```