Quote by Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, ch.

Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs. We are, and must be, one and all, burdened with faults in this world: but the time will soon come when, I trust, we shall put them off in putting off our corruptible bodies; when debasement and sin will fall from us with this cumbrous frame of flesh, and only the spark of the spirit will remain, - the impalpable principle of light and thought, pure as when it left the Creator to inspire the creature: whence it came it will return; perhaps again to be communicated to some being higher than man - perhaps to pass through gradations of glory, from the pale human soul to brighten to the seraph! Surely it will never, on the contrary, be suffered to degenerate from man to fiend?No; I cannot believe that: I hold another creed: which no one ever taught me, and which I seldom mention; but in which I delight, and to which I cling: for it extends hope to all: it makes Eternity a rest - a mighty home, not a terror and an abyss. Besides, with this creed, I can so clearly distinguish between the criminal and his crime; I can so sincerely forgive the first while I abhor the last: with this creed revenge never worries my heart, degradation never too deeply disgusts me, injustice never crushes me too low: I live in calm, looking to the end.

Summary

This quote expresses the belief that life is too short to hold onto grudges or dwell on past wrongs. The speaker reflects on the faults and limitations we all possess as humans, but looks forward to a time when these imperfections will be shed with our mortal bodies. They find solace in the idea that the essence of the human spirit, untainted and pure, will transcend and potentially elevate to higher states of existence. Holding onto a creed that extends hope and forgives individuals while condemning their actions, the speaker finds peace and clarity, allowing them to live with calm and look towards the future.