“A man without passion is only a latent force, only a possibility, like a stone waiting for the blow from the iron to give forth sparks.”

—  Henri-Frédéric Amiel

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919), Journal
Variant: Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark.

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Henri-Frédéric Amiel photo
Henri-Frédéric Amiel 50
Swiss philosopher and poet 1821–1881

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