Beginning of life Quote by W. Somerset Maugham
““But on the whole the impression was neither of tragedy nor of comedy. There was no describing it. It was manifold and various; there were tears and laughter, happiness and woe; it was tedious and interesting and indifferent; it was as you saw it: it was tumultuous and passionate; it was grave; it was sad and comic; it was trivial; it was simple and complex; joy was there and despair; the love of mothers for their children, and of men for women; lust trailed itself through the rooms with leaden feet, punishing the guilty and the innocent, helpless wives and wretched children; drink seized men and women and cost its inevitable price; death sighed in these rooms; and the beginning of life, filling some poor girl with terror and shame, was diagnosed there. There was neither good nor bad there. There were just facts. It was life.””
About This Quote
Source Short Story: “The Unconsoled” (excerpt), 1935
Life is a complex tapestry of emotions and events, defying simple moral labels and encompassing both joy and suffering.
In simple terms: Life is messy and full of contradictions.
Key Takeaway
Accept life's complexity without judgment.
Themes
human experience
contradiction
emotion
morality
existence
Mood
melancholic
thoughtful
Type
literary
reflective
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- artistic creation
- social observation
- psychological analysis
Key Concepts
complexity
dualism
subjectivity
Questions to Reflect On
- What does embracing ambiguity change your decisions?
- How do we find meaning amid chaos?
A Different Perspective
May lead to moral relativism or paralysis.
