To be able to keep a mother-in-law in the country while he lives in Paris, and vice versa, is a piece of good fortune which a husband too rarely meets with.
• Part III, Meditation XXV: Allies, Section II: Of the Mother-in-Law
• Part III, Meditation XXV: Allies, Section II: Of the Mother-in-Law
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Avoir sa belle-mère en province quand on demeure à Paris, et vice versa, est une de ces bonnes fortunes qui se rencontrent toujours trop rarement.
— Honoré de Balzac
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Avoir sa belle-mère en province quand on demeure à Paris, et vice versa, est une de ces bonnes fortunes qui se rencontrent toujours trop rarement." in the context of "To be able to keep a mother-in-law in the country while he lives in Paris, and vice versa, is a piece of good fortune which a husband too rarely meets with.
• Part III, Meditation XXV: Allies, Section II: Of the Mother-in-Law" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Honoré de Balzac" (Quotes, Physiology of Marriage (1829): Physiologie du Mariage. translated by Joseph Walker McSpadden. English text here.)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac (20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist. Along with Flaubert, he is generally regarded as a founding father of realism in European literature.
About Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac (20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist. Along with Flaubert, he is generally regarded as a founding father of realism in European literature.
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