Books
He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence.
— William Blake ‧ The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790-3) 'Proverbs of Hell'
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The proverb compares desire without action to the breeding of disease. That severe metaphor makes passivity sound corrosive rather than harmless. Read as a challenge to frustrated longing, it urges a connection between wanting and doing, without specifying what action would be appropriate.
Context reviewed