Because it is in the nature of things that they become extreme, we have passed down from manliness to cruelty. If I had been told when I was 20 that there was a tavern in the town where the brave and the cruel were gathered together, I would have run all the way and I would have gone up to the largest and leatheriest of the denizens and said: If you truly love me, kill the bartender.

Summary

This quote reflects on the human tendency to push boundaries and take things to extreme measures. The speaker suggests that over time, qualities like manliness can devolve into cruelty. The quote highlights the fascination of the speaker with a place where the courageous and brutal congregate. In their youth, they claim they would have eagerly sought out such a gathering and confronted its toughest member, testing their loyalty by daring them to commit an extreme act of violence. It hints at an exploration of the darker aspects of human nature and the allure of dangerous experiences.

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