Character Quote by Hugh of Saint Victor
““It is, therefore, a great source of virtue for the practiced mind to learn, bit by bit, first to change about in visible and transitory things, so that afterwards it may be possible to leave them behind altogether. The man who finds his homeland sweet is still a tender beginner; he to whom every soil is as his native one is already strong; but he is perfect to whom the entire world is as a foreign land. The tender soul has fixed his love on one spot in the world; the strong man has extended his love to all places; the perfect man has extinguished his. From boyhood I have dwelt on foreign soil and I know with what grief sometimes the mind takes leave of the narrow hearth of a peasant's hut, and I know too how frankly it afterwards disdains marble firesides and panelled halls.””
About This Quote
Source Treatise: Didascalia, 12th century
The passage contrasts stages of spiritual growth: from attachment to familiar places, to love for all, to detachment from worldly ties, urging progressive inner expansion.
In simple terms: Growing love from narrow to universal, ending in detachment.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate broader compassion and let go of material attachments.
Themes
spiritual growth
detachment
universal love
humility
Mood
reflective
melancholic
hopeful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- migration
- personal loss
- career change
- cultural adaptation
- spiritual practice
Key Concepts
philosophy
theology
inner development
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you expand love beyond your immediate circle?
- What does detachment mean for your daily responsibilities?
A Different Perspective
The ideal of complete detachment may be unrealistic for many who need stable roots.
![“[M]ay you be more advanced in the school of solid virtue, which is practiced in an excellent way in the midst of suffering, and which keeps good servants of God in fear when they have nothing to suffer!” quote by Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8c5/vincent-de-paul-1676_character_m-ay-you-be-more-advanced-in-the-school_2977987.jpg)
