"Les prisons sont construites avec des pierres de la loi les bordels avec des briques de la religion"
— William Blake
Simplified Meaning:
The saying means that strict rules and laws often create more problems rather than solving them. When rules become too rigid, they lead to harsh consequences, like people ending up in jail. On the other hand, when religious teachings preach goodness but people don't really follow those high standards, it can lead to immoral actions in secret places. Think about a school with very strict rules. Students might end up breaking the rules more just to rebel, and the punishments get severe, like detention or suspension. At the same time, if a school promotes great values like honesty but the teachers themselves cheat or lie, the students might also start lying and cheating, which defeats the purpose of those teachings. So, this saying tells us to balance rules and teachings with understanding and real practice, instead of using them to punish or create false images. If you apply this to your life, it means to follow and set rules with kindness and live up to your values genuinely.