Character Quote by Violet Trefusis
““Heaven preserve me from littleness and pleasantness and smoothness. Give me great glaring vices, and great glaring virtues, but preserve me from the neat little neutral ambiguities. Be wicked, be brave, be drunk, be reckless, be dissolute, be despotic, be a suffragette, be anything you like, but for pity's sake be it to the top of your bent. Live fully, live passionately, live disastrously. Let's live, you and I, as none have ever lived before. (- to Vita Sackville-West, October 25, 1918)””
About This Quote
Source Letter: Correspondence to Vita Sackville‑West, 25 Oct 1918
A plea for intense, unrestrained living, rejecting moderation and embracing bold, even reckless, experiences.
In simple terms: Embrace extremes, avoid blandness.
Key Takeaway
Choose daring over safe.
Themes
passion
radicalism
individualism
risk
authenticity
Mood
defiant
exuberant
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- artistic creation
- personal crisis
- social rebellion
- creative writing
Key Concepts
existentialism
hedonism
transcendence
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you fear a life of mediocrity?
- What risks are you willing to take for authenticity?
A Different Perspective
Such intensity can alienate others and lead to self‑destruction.
