A man sometimes devotes his life to a desire which he is not sure will ever be fulfilled. Those who laugh at this folly are, after all, no more than mere spectators of life.
Rynosuke AkutagawaRead
17. Butterfly A butterfly fluttered its wings in a wind thick with the smell of seaweed. His dry lips felt the touch of the butterfly for the briefest instant, yet the wisp of wing dust still shone on his lips years later.
Interpretation
A simple moment can leave a lasting impact on our memories.
This quote by Rynosuke Akutagawa reflects on the beauty and transience of experiences in nature. The fleeting encounter with a butterfly symbolizes how a brief moment can resonate within us long after it has passed, highlighting the profound connections we can form with the world around us.
In practice
In a speech about embracing life's small joys, this quote could illustrate how fleeting experiences shape our happiness.
A man sometimes devotes his life to a desire which he is not sure will ever be fulfilled. Those who laugh at this folly are, after all, no more than mere spectators of life.
Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread. A civilization which destroys what little remains of the wild, the spare, the original, is cutting itself off from its origins and betraying the principle of civilization itself.
We are eternally linked not just to each other but our environment.
All the world was before me and every day was a holiday, so it did not seem important to which one of the world's wildernesses I first should wander.
Indeed, the night sky is the part of our environment that's been common to all cultures throughout human history. All have gazed up at the 'vault of heaven' and interpreted it in their own way.
Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change.
I don't feel I've arrived home until I get on the beach. All my life, the theater of the sea has been a very strong thing.
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