Faith Quote by Marcel Proust
““The belief that a person has a share in an unknown life to which his or her love may win us admission is, of all the prerequisites of love, the one which it values most highly and which makes it set little store by all the rest. Even those women who claim to judge a man by his looks alone, see in those looks the emanation of a special way of life. That is why they fall in love with soldiers or with firemen; the uniform makes them less particular about the face; they feel they are embracing beneath the gleaming breastplate a heart different from the rest, more gallant, more adventurous, more tender; and so it is that a young king or a crown prince may make the most gratifying conquests in the countries that he visits, and yet lack entirely that regular and classic profile which would be indispensable, I dare say, for a stockbroker.””
About This Quote
Source Book: In Search of Lost Time, Marcel Proust, 1913-1927
Love values the promise of an unknown future more than concrete traits, leading people to idealize those in uniform as embodying adventure and tenderness.
In simple terms: Love prefers mystery over specifics.
Key Takeaway
Seek depth beyond appearances.
Themes
love
idealization
appearance vs reality
social status
romantic fantasy
Mood
nostalgic
reflective
romantic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- dating
- career choices
- military recruitment
- media portrayal of heroes
- personal relationships
Key Concepts
Idealism
Projection
Symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you value mystery over concrete traits?
- How does appearance influence your attraction?
A Different Perspective
Idealizing uniformed figures can overlook real personality flaws.
![“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)
