W.H. Auden's Insights: Good, Evil, and the Human Condition

W.H. Auden's quotes offer profound insights on sin, humanity, and the human condition, blending sharp wit and deep philosophical reflections on life.

⊙ Quote of the Day: The Addictive Nature of Sin

All sin tends to be addictive,

and the terminal point of addiction is what is called damnation.

- W. H. Auden -

Wystan Hugh Auden was an English-born American poet who immigrated to the United States just before World War II and later became an American citizen. Auden’s body of work includes a wide array of quotes that reflect his social observations, religious perspectives, criticisms, warnings, and deep reflections on life from various angles. His quote, "All sin tends to be addictive, and the terminal point of addiction is what is called damnation," may seem simple at first glance, but it carries profound metaphorical meaning. Auden, who was a disciplined morning person, waking up at 6 a.m. every day to write until noon, despised night owls. He once said, "Only the ‘Hitlers of the world’ work at night; no honest artist does." This statement metaphorically links his disdain for both Hitler and night owls, placing them in the same category of contempt.

⊙W.H. Auden: Quotes on Life, Humanity, and the Nature of Good & Evil

​W.H. Auden, one of the most influential poets of the 20th century, was renowned for his sharp wit, deep philosophical insights, and keen observations on life, humanity, good and evil, and the human condition. His quotes cover a wide range of themes, including morality, art, relationships, and the nature of existence, often blending profound wisdom with a touch of irony. Auden's ability to articulate complex ideas in memorable, thought-provoking ways continues to resonate with readers today.

• "Evil is unspectacular and always human, and shares our bed and eats at our own table." - W. H. Auden

• "Perhaps there is only one cardinal sin: impatience. Because of impatience we were driven out of Paradise, because of impatience we cannot return." - W. H. Auden

• "Good can imagine Evil; but Evil cannot imagine Good." - W. H. Auden

• "The slogan of Hell: Eat or be eaten. The slogan of Heaven: Eat and be eaten." - W. H. Auden

• "Music is the best means we have of digesting time." - W. H. Auden

• "Music can be made anywhere, is invisible and does not smell." - W. H. Auden

• "A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language." - W. H. Auden

• "A poet is a professional maker of verbal objects." - W. H. Auden

• "Only the ‘Hitlers of the world’ work at night; no honest artist does." - W. H. Auden

• "History is, strictly speaking, the study of questions; the study of answers belongs to anthropology and sociology." - W. H. Auden

• "The words of a dead man are modified in the guts of the living." - W. H. Auden

• "The most important truths are likely to be those which society at that time least wants to hear." - W. H. Auden

• "No person can be a great leader unless he takes genuine joy in the successes of those under him." - W. H. Auden

• "The ear tends to be lazy, craves the familiar and is shocked by the unexpected; the eye, on the other hand, tends to be impatient, craves the novel and is bored by repetition." - W. H. Auden

• "We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know." - W. H. Auden

• "Every autobiography is concerned with two characters, a Don Quixote, the Ego, and a Sancho Panza, the Self." - W. H. Auden

• "Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh." - W. H. Auden

• "Those who hate to go to bed fear death; those who hate to get up fear life." - W. H. Auden

• "Thousands have lived without love, not one without water." - W. H. Auden

Additional resources:

Stand Against Evil: Inspiring Quotes on Courage and Justice

Peace and Goodness: Biblical Wisdom in Troubled Times

Timeless Lessons in Human Nature from Aesop's Fables

Truth and Light: Lessons from Luke 12:2-3

Plato's 15 Quotes: Reflections on Truth, Knowledge, and Morality

Peace and Goodness: Biblical Wisdom in Troubled Times

21 Quotes by Aesop's fables

Motivational Quotes To Inspire You.

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