Wedding: A ceremony at which two persons undertake to become one, one undertakes to become nothing, and nothing undertakes to become supportable.
Source: The Devil's Dictionary (1911)
Topic
The collection approaches unity from its opposite. Nietzsche notes that the best weapon against an enemy is another enemy — which is also a description of how unity is manufactured rather than found. Addison observes that men who focus on where they agree rather than where they differ produce far less anger. Humboldt pairs true enjoyment with both mental and physical activity, always united. Franklin: beauty and folly are old companions. The collection is honest about how difficult genuine unity is to achieve and how often it is produced by external pressure rather than by affinity. The best pieces suggest that shared purpose is more durable than shared identity, and that the former is worth building deliberately.
Wedding: A ceremony at which two persons undertake to become one, one undertakes to become nothing, and nothing undertakes to become supportable.