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Spartan Surfers

1802–1870

Alexandre Dumas

French novelist of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo (1844–46), the story of a sailor wrongly imprisoned who escapes and returns.

7 sourced lines

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

  1. All human wisdom is in two words: wait and hope.

    These are the last words of the Count's farewell letter, after a story of years in prison and long revenge. Patience without hope turns bitter; hope without patience burns out. Hold both.

    The Count of Monte Cristo, ch. 117, our translation from the French

  2. Only one who has known the deepest misfortune can feel the highest joy.

    Suffering deepens your capacity for joy. The Count tells young Morrel his pain was not wasted. What you live through now widens what you can feel later.

    The Count of Monte Cristo, ch. 117, our translation from the French

  3. You must have wanted to die to know how good it is to live.

    The Count says this to a young man he has just talked out of despair. Coming back from the edge can make life precious. If you are in that dark place, reach out: the other side exists.

    The Count of Monte Cristo, ch. 117, our translation from the French

  4. Learning is not knowing. Memory makes the one, philosophy the other.

    The Abbé Faria tells the young prisoner Dantès that collecting facts is not understanding. Memory stores, philosophy connects. Aim to understand, not just to remember.

    The Count of Monte Cristo, ch. 17, our translation from the French

  5. Wounds of the heart can hide, but they never close.

    Dumas says moral wounds stay fresh and bleed when touched. Hiding a hurt is not healing it. Deal with what still aches.

    The Count of Monte Cristo, ch. 86, our translation from the French

  6. Hatred is blind. Whoever pours vengeance may drink a bitter cup.

    Franz warns the Count that revenge can poison the avenger. The whole novel bears him out. Think twice before you pour.

    The Count of Monte Cristo, ch. 35, our translation from the French

  7. There is no happiness or misery, only one state compared with another.

    Happiness and misery are measured against each other, not on a fixed scale. That is why hardship can make ordinary days feel rich. Change your comparison and you change your day.

    The Count of Monte Cristo, ch. 117, our translation from the French