Lucretius on The Power of Perspective: Why We Admire Things Less Over Time

Have you ever thought about how your opinions and tastes have changed over the years? It's natural for our views to change as we grow and have new experiences, but it's interesting to think about how much our views can change in such a short time. This quote from Lucretius shows how much people's admiration changes. Let's take a closer look at what it means and what we can learn from it.

"There is nothing so great or wonderful that mankind does not admire it less and less as time goes on."

Titus Lucretius Carus

What the quote means

On the surface, this quote is pretty simple. It simply states that there is nothing so great or wonderful that mankind will not admire it less over time. But if you think about it, there is much more to discover here. This quote speaks to the fickle nature of man and our innate desire for novelty. It's easy to be impressed by something when it's new, but over time that sense of wonder fades. We get used to what once seemed so great, and it becomes part of our everyday reality.

This quote also illustrates the transience of human admiration. Just as quickly as we can be impressed by something, our admiration can turn to dislike or even contempt. Our opinions are constantly changing, and what we once thought was incredible can quickly become commonplace.

Who was Lucretius?

Titus Lucretius Carus was a Roman philosopher and poet who lived in the first century BC. He was a follower of the philosophy of Epicureanism, which states that pleasure is the highest good and pain should be avoided. Lucretius is best known for his doctrinal poem De rerum natura in which he expounds the Epicurean philosophy. In this work, Lucretius argues that everything is made up of atoms that are too small to be seen or understood by humans. He also asserts that death need not be feared because it is nothing more than the dissolution of these atoms.

What we can learn from this quote

This quote reminds us that our perceptions are constantly changing and that what we once thought was great may not seem so impressive in retrospect. It's important to keep this in mind when we make decisions - big and small. for example: Just because something seems like a good idea at the moment doesn't mean it will be a good idea in the future. We should always be open to new experiences and perspectives, because they might change our minds about what we thought we knew!

What else can we learn from this quote from Lucretius? I think there are two more important lessons. First, we should try to retain our sense of wonder and fascination with the world around us. It's easy to become cynical and jaded as we get older, but if we can retain our childlike sense of wonder, we'll be much happier. Second, we should cherish the things we love while we have them. Nothing lasts forever, so we should enjoy the things that make us happy while they are still around.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.