Animal Quote by Marcel Proust
““Gilberte belonged, during those years at least, to the most widespread variety of human ostriches, the kind that bury their heads not in the hope of not being seen, which they consider highly improbable, but in the hope of not seeing that they can be seen, which seems to them something to the good and enables them to leave the rest to chance.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: In Search of Lost Time, Volume 1, 1913
People sometimes avoid confronting reality by pretending they are unseen, hoping ignorance will protect them, which leads to neglecting responsibility.
In simple terms: Avoiding truth to stay comfortable.
Key Takeaway
Face reality rather than hide.
Themes
self‑deception
avoidance
responsibility
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- workplace dynamics
- public scrutiny
- media narratives
Key Concepts
psychology
social behavior
denial
Questions to Reflect On
- What truths are you avoiding?
- How does denial affect your decisions?
A Different Perspective
Denial can worsen problems instead of solving them.
![“For her [Françoise], wealth was like a necessary condition without which virtue would lack both merit and charm. She made so little distinction between the two that she came to see their qualities as interchangeable, expecting material comfort from virtue and moral edification from wealth.” quote by Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/573/marcel-proust-114_character_for-her-fran-oise-wealth-was-like-a-nece_2687.jpg)
