--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Or there were the poets and thinkers…" description: "\"“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,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1eb/virginia-woolf-49_life_or-there-were-the-poets-and-thinkers-sup_1241747.jpg" --- # Or there were the poets and thinkers. Suppose he had had… ![“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…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1eb/virginia-woolf-49_life_or-there-were-the-poets-and-thinkers-sup_1241747.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1eb/virginia-woolf-49_life_or-there-were-the-poets-and-thinkers-sup_1241747.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1eb/virginia-woolf-49_life_or-there-were-the-poets-and-thinkers-sup_1241747.jpg) > ““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?”” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Intolerable Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerable-men-3879457/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poets Thinkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets-thinkers-771585/) [Suppose Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suppose-passion-3879456/) [Thinkers Suppose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinkers-suppose-3879458/) [Young man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-man/) ## Related quotes > [I suppose that, after the passion of love, water rights have caused more trouble than anything else to the human species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-steinbach/i-suppose-that-after-the-passion-of-love-water-rights-have-caused/) [Alice Steinbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-steinbach/) > [The sweetest lines from some of the most romantic poets and thinkers the world has ever known. 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