--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But the river, though it flowed so…" description: "\"“But the river, though it flowed so slowly, had still a sense of movement and it gave one a melancholy feeling of the transitoriness of things. Everyth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/791/w-somerset-maugham-237_far-apart_but-the-river-though-it-flowed-so-slowly_3209190.jpg" --- # But the river, though it flowed so slowly, had still a… ![“But the river, though it flowed so slowly, had still a sense of movement and it gave one a melancholy feeling of the transitoriness of things. Everything passed, and what trace of its passage remained? It seemed to Kitty that they were all, the human race, like the drops of water in that river and…” quote by W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/791/w-somerset-maugham-237_far-apart_but-the-river-though-it-flowed-so-slowly_3209190.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/791/w-somerset-maugham-237_far-apart_but-the-river-though-it-flowed-so-slowly_3209190.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/791/w-somerset-maugham-237_far-apart_but-the-river-though-it-flowed-so-slowly_3209190.jpg) > ““But the river, though it flowed so slowly, had still a sense of movement and it gave one a melancholy feeling of the transitoriness of things. Everything passed, and what trace of its passage remained? It seemed to Kitty that they were all, the human race, like the drops of water in that river and they flowed on, each so close to the other and yet so far apart, a nameless flood, to the sea. When all things lasted so short a time and nothing mattered very much, it seemed pitiful that men, attaching an absurd importance to trivial objects, should make themselves and one another so unhappy.”” [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The river metaphor illustrates life's fleeting nature and humanity’s tendency to overvalue trivialities, leading to collective sorrow. **In simple terms:** Life flows quickly, and we often overvalue small things. Key Takeaway Focus on what truly matters. Themes transience meaning humanity Mood melancholic reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - philosophical contemplation - mindfulness practice - life perspective Key Concepts impermanence existential reflection Questions to Reflect On - What truly matters to you in the short time you have? - How can you let go of insignificant worries? A Different Perspective We can become trapped in trivial concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) ## Related quotes > [“...the human race, like drops of water in that river and they flowed on, each so close to the other and yet so far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-human-race-like-drops-of-water-in-that-river-and-they-flowed-on/) [W. 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