The sun hides not the ocean, which is the dark side of this earth, and which is two thirds of this earth. So, therefore, that mortal man who hath more of joy than sorrow in him, that mortal man cannot be true – not.
Herman Melville
Ocean Truth, Mortal Joy, Hidden Darkness, Ocean, Mortal, Joy
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Water Vision | Moon’s Moravians | Refusal Power | Harmony In Beauty | Mystery | Dishonor | Support | Defined Identity | Man’s Weakness | Sin | Staff | Specimens | Wizards’ Thoughts | Survival Instincts | Appearance Vs Reality | Empathy | Divinity | Society | Pythagoras’ Soul | Whale Hunting | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“There is all of the difference in the world between paying and being paid.” Herman Melville
Work And Compensation, Financial Reality, Self-worth, Employment, Value, Transactions
Herman Melville Work And Compensation, Financial Reality, Self-worth, Employment, Value, Transactions“And if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves; and it is in this disobeying ourselves, wherein the hardness of obeying God consists.” Herman Melville
Obey God, Disobey Self, Hardness Obedience, Obey, Disobey, God
Herman Melville Obey God, Disobey Self, Hardness Obedience, Obey, Disobey, God“Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian.” Herman Melville
Sober Cannibal, Drunken Christian, Unlikely Preference, Cannibal, Christian, Preference
Herman Melville Sober Cannibal, Drunken Christian, Unlikely Preference, Cannibal, Christian, Preference“It is upon record, that three centuries ago the tongue of the Right Whale was esteemed a great delicacy in France, and commanded large prices there.” Herman Melville
Whale Delicacy, France History, Esteemed Taste, Whale, Delicacy, Taste
Herman Melville Whale Delicacy, France History, Esteemed Taste, Whale, Delicacy, Taste“Surely no mere mortal who has at all gone down into himself will ever pretend that his slightest thought or act solely originates in his own defined identity.” Herman Melville
Mortal Identity, Defined Identity, Self Thought, Identity, Self, Thought
Herman Melville Mortal Identity, Defined Identity, Self Thought, Identity, Self, Thought“You know nothing till you know all; which is the reason we never know any thing.” Herman Melville
All Knowing, Infinite Truth, Knowledge Limit, Know, All, Truth
Herman Melville All Knowing, Infinite Truth, Knowledge Limit, Know, All, Truth“For there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men.” Herman Melville
Human Folly, Beastly Madness, Men’s Folly, Earthly Folly, Madness Defined, Men’s Extremes
Herman Melville Human Folly, Beastly Madness, Men’s Folly, Earthly Folly, Madness Defined, Men’s Extremes“Nevertheless, Leviathan is of so mighty a magnitude, all his proportions are so stately, that the same deficiency which in the sculptured Jove were hideous, in him is no blemish at all. Nay, it is an added grandeur. A nose to the whale would have been impertinent.” Herman Melville
Leviathan, Magnitude, Nature’s Beauty, Grandeur, Symbolism, Perfection
Herman Melville Leviathan, Magnitude, Nature’s Beauty, Grandeur, Symbolism, Perfection“He’s a grand, ungodly, god-like man, Captain Ahab; doesn’t speak much; but, when he does speak, then you may well listen.” Herman Melville
Captain Ahab, God-like Man, Ahab’s Command, Ahab, Leadership, Speech
Herman Melville Captain Ahab, God-like Man, Ahab’s Command, Ahab, Leadership, Speech“There are some persons in this world, who, unable to give better proof of being wise, take a strange delight in showing what they think they have sagaciously read in mankind by uncharitable suspicions of them.” Herman Melville
Uncharitable Suspicion, Misread Wisdom, False Judgment, Suspicion, Wisdom, Judgment
Herman Melville Uncharitable Suspicion, Misread Wisdom, False Judgment, Suspicion, Wisdom, Judgment“Pray God, not that; yet I fear something, Captain Ahab. Is not this harpoon for the White Whale?” “For the white fiend! But now for the barbs; thou must make them thyself, man. Here are my razors – the best of steel; here, and make the barbs sharp as the needle-sleet of the Icy Sea.” Herman Melville
White Whale, Harpoon Creation, Icy Sea, Whale, Harpoon, Sea
Herman Melville White Whale, Harpoon Creation, Icy Sea, Whale, Harpoon, Sea“We should, if possible, prove a teacher to posterity, instead of being the pupil of by-gone generations. More shall come after us than have gone before; the world is not yet middle-aged.” Herman Melville
Posterity Teacher, Generational Lessons, World Progress, Teacher, Lessons, Progress
Herman Melville Posterity Teacher, Generational Lessons, World Progress, Teacher, Lessons, Progress“When a companion’s heart of itself overflows, the best one can do is to do nothing.” Herman Melville
Overflowing Heart, Companion Care, Silent Support, Heart, Companion, Support
Herman Melville Overflowing Heart, Companion Care, Silent Support, Heart, Companion, Support“Though neither knows where lie the nameless things of which the mystic sign gives forth such hints; yet with me, as with the colt, somewhere those things must exist. Though in many of its aspects this visible world seems formed in love, the invisible spheres were formed in fright.” Herman Melville
Mystic Signs, Visible Love, Invisible Fear, Signs, Love, Fear
Herman Melville Mystic Signs, Visible Love, Invisible Fear, Signs, Love, Fear“It’s a mutual, joint-stock world, all meridians. We cannibals must help these Christians.” Herman Melville
Worldview, Irony, Humanity, Society, Culture, Relationships
Herman Melville Worldview, Irony, Humanity, Society, Culture, Relationships“Now, Jonah’s Captain, shipmates, was one whose discernment detects crime in any, but whose cupidity exposes it only in the penniless. In this world, shipmates, sin that pays its way can travel freely, and without a passport; whereas Virtue, if a pauper, is stopped at all frontiers.” Herman Melville
Moral Double, Captain’s Cupidity, Virtue Barrier, Sin, Virtue, Captain
Herman Melville Moral Double, Captain’s Cupidity, Virtue Barrier, Sin, Virtue, Captain“I’ll try a pagan friend, thought I, since Christian kindness has proved but hollow courtesy.” Herman Melville
Faith Issues, Christian Beliefs, Religious Views, Human Interaction, Friendship, Trust
Herman Melville Faith Issues, Christian Beliefs, Religious Views, Human Interaction, Friendship, Trust“We become sad in the first place because we have nothing stirring to do.” Herman Melville
Emotional Struggles, Human Nature, Sadness, Boredom, Life Purpose, Loneliness
Herman Melville Emotional Struggles, Human Nature, Sadness, Boredom, Life Purpose, Loneliness