Psychology Quote by Jane Austen
““Could he ever be tolerably happy with Lucy Steele; could he, were his affection for herself out of the question, with his integrity, his delicacy, and well-informed mind, be satisfied with a wife like her — illiterate, artful, and selfish?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Persuasion, 1817
He doubts whether he can be truly happy with a wife lacking intellect and virtue, despite love.
In simple terms: He questions marrying an unqualified partner.
Key Takeaway
Seek compatibility beyond affection.
Themes
love
marriage
integrity
social expectations
Mood
thoughtful
melancholic
Type
literary
romantic
When to use this quote
- courtship
- family pressure
- personal values
Key Concepts
Romantic idealism
class constraints
Questions to Reflect On
- What qualities matter most in a lifelong partnership?
- Can love overcome fundamental incompatibility?
A Different Perspective
May idealize love over practical compatibility.
![“Everybody is taken in at some period or another. [...] In marriage especially. [...] There is not one in a hundred of either sex, who is not taken in when they marry. Look where I will, I see that it is so; and I feel that it must be so, when I consider that it is, of all transactions, the one in…” quote by Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/37a/jane-austen-39_marriage_everybody-is-taken-in-at-some-period-or_7175.jpg)
