Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts which we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do.
Meaning of the quote
This quote suggests that when we realize all the great things we could have done with our lives, but didn't, that feeling of regret and missed opportunities is like the start of a personal "hell" for us. It's about how painful it can be to look back and see the potential we had that we didn't fully use. The quote encourages us to make the most of our talents and not let them go to waste, so we don't end up regretting it later in life.
About Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti was an acclaimed Italian-American composer and librettist known for his 25 operas, including the classic Christmas opera ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’. He founded prestigious music festivals in Spoleto, Italy, and the United States, and his works earned him two Pulitzer Prizes.
More quotes from Gian Carlo Menotti
Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts which we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do.
Italian-American composer and librettist (1911-2007)
Melody is a form of remembrance. It must have a quality of inevitability in our ears.
Italian-American composer and librettist (1911-2007)
A man only becomes wise when he begins to calculate the approximate depth of his ignorance.
Italian-American composer and librettist (1911-2007)
Any subject is good for opera if the composer feels it so intently he must sing it out.
Italian-American composer and librettist (1911-2007)
Art is the unceasing effort to compete with the beauty of flowers – and never succeeding.
Italian-American composer and librettist (1911-2007)
Waiting and hoping are the whole of life, and as soon as a dream is realized it is destroyed.
Italian-American composer and librettist (1911-2007)