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 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.””
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.
Seek deep, lasting connections rather than fleeting attractions.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- relationship counseling
- personal growth
- literary analysis
- ethical debates
- spiritual practice
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you define a noble lover?
- When is love justified despite circumstances?
The view may oversimplify complex relationships.