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Bad man Quote by Walter Hamilton Plato

“The truth of the matter I believe to be this. There is, as I stated at first, no absolute right or wrong in love, but everything depends upon the circumstances, to yield to a bad man in a bad way is wrong, but to yield to a worthy man in a right way is right. The bad man is a common or a vulgar…” quote by Walter Hamilton Plato
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““The truth of the matter I believe to be this. There is, as I stated at first, no absolute right or wrong in love, but everything depends upon the circumstances, to yield to a bad man in a bad way is wrong, but to yield to a worthy man in a right way is right. The bad man is a common or a vulgar lover, who is in love with the body rather than the soul; he is not constant because what he loves is not constant; as soon as the flower of physical beauty, which is what he loves, begins to fade, he is gone "even as a dream", and all his professions and promises are as nothing. But the lover of a noble nature remains its lover for life, because the thing to which he cleaves is constant. The object of our custom then is to subject lovers to a thorough test; it encourages the lover to pursue and the bloved to flee, in order that the right kind of lover may in the end be gratified and the wrong kind be eluded; it sets up a kind of competition to determine which kind of lover and beloved respectively belong.””

Walter Hamilton Plato

About This Quote

Love lacks absolute right or wrong; its morality depends on circumstances and the nature of the lover, with noble love being constant and superficial love fleeting.

In simple terms: Love’s rightness varies with context and the lover’s character.

Key Takeaway

Seek deep, lasting connections rather than fleeting attractions.

Themes

love morality character

Mood

philosophical contemplative

Type

Bad man:1 Love:1 Lover:1 Lovers:1 Philisophy:0 Physical beauty:0 Right or wrong:0 Right way:0 Test:0 Truth:0 Wrong love:0 Love Depends:0 Vulgar Lover:0

When to use this quote

  • relationship counseling
  • personal growth
  • literary analysis
  • ethical debates
  • spiritual practice

Key Concepts

philosophy ethics relationships

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you define a noble lover?
  • When is love justified despite circumstances?
A Different Perspective

The view may oversimplify complex relationships.

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