--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why, all delights are vain, but that most…" description: "\"Why, all delights are vain, but that most vain Which, with pain purchased, doth inherit pain: As, painfully to pore upon a book, To seek the light of t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/william-shakespeare-4_blind_why-all-delights-are-vain-but-that-most_2931003.jpg" --- # Why, all delights are vain, but that most vain Which, with… ![“Why, all delights are vain, but that most vain Which, with pain purchased, doth inherit pain: As, painfully to pore upon a book, To seek the light of truth, which truth the while Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/william-shakespeare-4_blind_why-all-delights-are-vain-but-that-most_2931003.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/william-shakespeare-4_blind_why-all-delights-are-vain-but-that-most_2931003.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/william-shakespeare-4_blind_why-all-delights-are-vain-but-that-most_2931003.jpg) > “Why, all delights are vain, but that most vain Which, with pain purchased, doth inherit pain: As, painfully to pore upon a book, To seek the light of truth, which truth the while Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look.” [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The pursuit of knowledge can bring both insight and suffering, and truth may blind as much as it illuminates. **In simple terms:** Seeking truth can cause pain. Key Takeaway Balance curiosity with caution. Themes knowledge pain truth Mood melancholic thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - academic research - personal introspection - creative writing Key Concepts epistemology human frailty Questions to Reflect On - How do we discern useful truth? - When does curiosity become harmful? A Different Perspective Truth can be subjective and may not always lead to clarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) ## Related quotes > [Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain, Which, with pain purchas'd, doth inherit pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/why-all-delights-are-vain-but-that-most-vain-which-with-pain-purchas/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The wine-cup is the little silver well, Where truth, if truth there be, doth dwell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-wine-cup-is-the-little-silver-well-where-truth-if-truth-there-be/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Who doth desire that chaste his wife should be, first be he true, for truth doth truth deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/who-doth-desire-that-chaste-his-wife-should-be-first-be-he-true-for/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [I'm vain, I can be vain!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-viall/i-m-vain-i-can-be-vain/) [Nick Viall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-viall/) > [“If I really seem vain, it is that I am only vain in my ways—not in my heart. 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