Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
If America could be, once again, a nation of self-reliant farmers, craftsmen, hunters, ranchers, and artists, then the rich would have little power to dominate others. Neither to serve nor to rule: That was the American dream.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of self-reliance and craftsmanship in achieving true freedom and equality in society.
Edward Abbey expresses a vision of America where independence and self-sufficiency are valued, suggesting that if individuals were more self-reliant as farmers, craftsmen, and artists, the disparity between the rich and the poor would decrease. He asserts that the American dream lies not in serving the powerful or being dominated by them, but in fostering a society where individuals can thrive independently.
Themes
Self-RelianceFreedomCraftsmanshipEqualityIndependence
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about community values, one might cite this quote to advocate for local craftsmanship and entrepreneurship.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes →I love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
Edward AbbeyRead
If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
Edward AbbeyRead
The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
Edward AbbeyRead
I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
Edward AbbeyRead
Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Edward AbbeyRead
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