Life Quote by Virginia Woolf
““Or there were the poets and thinkers. Suppose he had had that passion, and had gone to Sir William Bradshaw, a great doctor yet to her extremely evil, without sex or lust, extremely polite to women, but capable of some indescribable outrage—forcing your soul, that was it—if this young man had gone to him, and Sir William impressed him, like that, with his power, might he not then have said (indeed she felt it now), Life is made intolerable; they make life intolerable, men like that?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Mrs Dalloway, 1925
A character reflects on how powerful, morally corrupt individuals can make existence unbearable.
In simple terms: Bad people make life hard.
Key Takeaway
Beware toxic influence.
Themes
power
corruption
existence
gender
psychology
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- career environments
- political leadership
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
psychological oppression
social critique
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you recognize toxic authority?
- Can power be used responsibly?
A Different Perspective
Not all influential figures are harmful; context matters.
![“The young man [Turgot] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his studies, his reading, his professors, his associates, all were combined to keep from him any results of observation or reflection save those…” quote by Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5d4/andrew-dickson-white-24254_associates_the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecc_3146.jpg)
![“[D]on't grow old. With age comes caution, which is another name for cowardice… Whatever else you do in life, don't cultivate a conscience. Without a conscience a man may never be said to grow old. This is an age of very old young men.” quote by Hesketh Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/076/hesketh-pearson-35291_age_d-on-t-grow-old-with-age-comes-caution-w_14010.jpg)
