Quote by Marcel Proust
The features of our face are hardly more than gestures which force of habit made permanent. Nature, like the destruction of Pompeii, like the metamorphosis of a nymph into a tree, has arrested us in an accustomed movement.
Summary
This quote suggests that our facial features are shaped by habits and routines, becoming permanent gestures. It compares this to the destruction of Pompeii, where nature froze a city in time, and to the metamorphosis of a nymph into a tree, where a being is forever transformed. In the same way, our facial expressions and features are said to be stuck in habitual movements, showcasing the impact and influence of consistent behaviors and actions on our appearance.