--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Were a man to consult only his reason…" description: "\"Were a man to consult only his reason, who would marry? For myself, I wouldn't marry, for fear of having a son who resembled me.\" — Nicolas Chamfort" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/nicolas-chamfort-2263_fear_were-a-man-to-consult-only-his-reason-wh_819446.png" --- # Were a man to consult only his reason, who would marry?… ![“Were a man to consult only his reason, who would marry? For myself, I wouldn't marry, for fear of having a son who resembled me.” quote by Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/nicolas-chamfort-2263_fear_were-a-man-to-consult-only-his-reason-wh_819446.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/nicolas-chamfort-2263_fear_were-a-man-to-consult-only-his-reason-wh_819446.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/nicolas-chamfort-2263_fear_were-a-man-to-consult-only-his-reason-wh_819446.png) > “Were a man to consult only his reason, who would marry? For myself, I wouldn't marry, for fear of having a son who resembled me.” [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rationality alone cannot justify marriage; personal fears and legacy concerns influence decisions. **In simple terms:** Reason isn’t enough for marriage. Key Takeaway Consider emotional factors. Themes marriage reason legacy Mood introspective skeptical Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - family planning - personal relationships - self‑reflection Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What fears affect your relationship choices? - Do you value legacy over love? A Different Perspective Emotional concerns may outweigh rational benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Having a son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-a-son/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) ## Related quotes > [If I had my way, the woman I marry, she wouldn't be a part of Twitter and she wouldn't be on Facebook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-gross/if-i-had-my-way-the-woman-i-marry-she-wouldn-t-be-a-part-of-twitter/) [Lance Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-gross/) > [Most of you will never fall in love, but will marry out of fear of dying alone!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-of-you-will-never-fall-in-love-but-will-marry-out-of-fear-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a lifelong bachelor, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't marry the right woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-roeper/i-m-a-lifelong-bachelor-but-that-doesn-t-mean-i-wouldn-t-marry-the/) [Richard Roeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-roeper/) > [“Just because you love someone is no reason to marry them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-wilde/just-because-you-love-someone-is-no-reason-to-marry-them/) [Stuart Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-wilde/) > [Some of the reason why we marry the wrong people is that we don't really understand ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/some-of-the-reason-why-we-marry-the-wrong-people-is-that-we-don-t/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [One should always be in love. 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"A good man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/but-a-good-man-wouldn-t-marry-you-for-fortune-and-perhaps-you-shouldn/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [I wouldn't marry until I was ready to have children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-wouldn-t-marry-until-i-was-ready-to-have-children/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [I think that men know how to romance a woman and most do it well, at least for a time, otherwise women wouldn't marry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-think-that-men-know-how-to-romance-a-woman-and-most-do-it-well-at/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [ I love her but I wouldn't marry her if she \[Kate Moss\] was the last woman on earth. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-doherty/i-love-her-but-i-wouldn-t-marry-her-if-she-kate-moss-was-the-last/) [Pete Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-doherty/) ## More by Nicolas Chamfort > [Men of reason have endured;men of passion have lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/men-of-reason-have-endured-men-of-passion-have-lived/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [Contact with the world either breaks or hardens the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/contact-with-the-world-either-breaks-or-hardens-the-heart/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [Of all days, the day on which one has not laughed is the one most surely wasted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/of-all-days-the-day-on-which-one-has-not-laughed-is-the-one-most/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [Nature never said to me: Do not be poor; still less did she say: Be rich; her cry to me was always: Be independent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/nature-never-said-to-me-do-not-be-poor-still-less-did-she-say-be-rich/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [It is commonly supposed that the art of pleasing is a wonderful aid in the pursuit of fortune; but the art of being bored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/it-is-commonly-supposed-that-the-art-of-pleasing-is-a-wonderful-aid/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [How many fools does it take to make up a public?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/how-many-fools-does-it-take-to-make-up-a-public/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [The poor are the blacks of Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/the-poor-are-the-blacks-of-europe/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [It is with happiness as with watches: the less complicated, the less easily deranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/it-is-with-happiness-as-with-watches-the-less-complicated-the-less/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [A modicum of discord is the very spice of courtship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/a-modicum-of-discord-is-the-very-spice-of-courtship/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [Tragedy has the great moral defect of giving too much importance to life and death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/tragedy-has-the-great-moral-defect-of-giving-too-much-importance-to/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [Men's hearts and faces are always wide asunder; women's are not only in close connection, but are mirror-like in the instant power of reflection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/men-s-hearts-and-faces-are-always-wide-asunder-women-s-are-not-only/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [I only study the things I like; I apply my mind only to matters that interest me. 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