Despair Quote by Robertson Davies
““Now I want you to remember something because I don't think we shall meet again very soon. It is this; however fashionable despair about the world and about people may be at present, and however powerful despair may become in the future, not everybody, or even most people, think and live fashionably; virtue and honour will not be banished from the world, however many popular moralists and panicky journalists say so. Sacrifice will not cease to be because psychiatrists have popularized the idea that there is often some concealed, self-serving element in it; theologians always knew that. Nor do I think love as a high condition of honour will be lost; it is a pattern in the spirit, and people long to make the pattern a reality in their own lives, whatever means they take to do so. In short, Davey, God is not dead. And I can assure you God is not mocked.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Fifth Business, 1970
Hope persists despite widespread despair; virtue, honor, sacrifice, and love endure beyond cynical narratives.
In simple terms: Goodness survives cynicism.
Key Takeaway
Believe in enduring values.
Themes
hope
virtue
love
honor
resilience
Mood
reflective
determined
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- societal pessimism
- ethical dilemmas
Key Concepts
existentialism
morality
faith
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we nurture virtue in a cynical world?
- What role does love play in sustaining honor?
A Different Perspective
Optimism may overlook systemic injustices.
