“Drinking when we are not thirsty and making love at all seasons, madam: that is all there is to distinguish us from other animals.”
What this quote means
This quote celebrates human uniqueness through our excesses and pleasures. Beaumarchais suggests that our ability to drink without thirst and make love at any season distinguishes us from animals, who follow instinct. It praises human freedom and whimsy, our inclination for the superfluous and desire beyond need. It's an ode to passion and joie de vivre, far from mere survival.
How to apply it daily
Today, indulge in a non-essential pleasure: a drink when not thirsty, an invitation to love without reason. Celebrate your humanity.
Continue
Related quotes
Same author or same theme — keep reading.
“Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.”Create visual
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.”Create visual
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”Create visual
“This is the best of all possible worlds.”Create visual
“Music is the pleasure the human mind experiences from counting without being aware that it is counting.”Create visual
“He who understands the universe as a whole understands it as the best of all possible worlds.”Create visual