Chewing gum Quote by W Somerset Maugham
““Passion doesn’t count the cost. Pascal said that the heart has its reasons that reason takes no account of. If he meant what I think, he meant that when passion seizes the heart it invents reasons that seem not only plausible but conclusive to prove that the world is well lost for love. It convinces you that honour is well sacrificed and that shame is a cheap price to pay. Passion is destructive. It destroyed Antony and Cleopatra, Tristan and Isolde, Parnell and Kitty O’Shea. And if it doesn’t destroy it dies. It may be then that one is faced with the desolation of knowing that one has wasted the years of one’s life, that one’s brought disgrace upon oneself, endured the frightful pang of jealousy, swallowed every bitter mortification, that one’s expended all one’s tenderness, poured out all the riches of one’s soul on a poor drab, a fool, a peg on which one hung one’s dreams, who wasn’t worth a stick of chewing gum.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham, 1944
Passion can blind reason, leading to reckless choices that may ruin lives and cause deep regret.
In simple terms: Passion often overrides logic, causing harm.
Key Takeaway
Beware of letting passion dictate actions.
Themes
love
destruction
regret
reason
honor
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
cautionary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- romantic relationships
- career decisions
- personal ambitions
- artistic pursuits
Key Concepts
psychology
human nature
tragic flaw
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you balance passion with reason?
- When has passion helped you?
A Different Perspective
Passion can also inspire great achievements, not only ruin.
