death were no more than an unfounded rumour, and survival a thing beyond the bounds of possibility." - Meaning and context.">
Themes and Variations (1950)

A belief in hell and the knowledge that every ambition is doomed to frustration at the hands of a skeleton have never prevented the majority of human beings from behaving as though death were no more than an unfounded rumour, and survival a thing beyond the bounds of possibility.

— Aldous Huxley

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "A belief in hell and the knowledge that every ambition is doomed to frustration at the hands of a skeleton have never prevented the majority of human beings from behaving as though death were no more than an unfounded rumour, and survival a thing beyond the bounds of possibility." in the context of "Themes and Variations (1950)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Aldous Huxley" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Aldous Huxley

About Aldous Huxley

Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was a British author known for his novel Brave New World. He was the grandson of Thomas Henry Huxley and younger brother of Julian Huxley.