Who said "You can't stare at the sun, or at death."?

La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680). Source: Maxims 26.

What is the original French?

Le soleil ni la mort ne se peuvent regarder fixement. Translated from the original French by Spartan Surfers.

Is "You can't stare at the sun, or at death." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

Le soleil ni la mort ne se peuvent regarder fixement.

You can't stare at the sun, or at death.

La Rochefoucauld, Maxims 26

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What it means

Some things are too big to look at directly. Most courage in the face of death is really looking away. Approach the hardest truths with honesty about how little we can take in.

The source

"You can't stare at the sun, or at death." La Rochefoucauld said it in Maxims 26. Translated from the original French by Spartan Surfers.

"Le soleil ni la mort ne se peuvent regarder fixement."

Original French, Maxims 26. Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680). French duke and soldier who turned his disappointment with court life into some five hundred razor-sharp maxims about self-love.

Questions

What does "You can't stare at the sun, or at death." mean?: Some things are too big to look at directly. Most courage in the face of death is really looking away. Approach the hardest truths with honesty about how little we can take in.
Who said "You can't stare at the sun, or at death."?: La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680). Source: Maxims 26.
What is the original French?: Le soleil ni la mort ne se peuvent regarder fixement. Translated from the original French by Spartan Surfers.
Is "You can't stare at the sun, or at death." on a shirt?: Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

Cite this line

"You can't stare at the sun, or at death." (La Rochefoucauld, Maxims 26, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/you-cant-stare-at-the-sun-or-at