The subjects I wanted to write about - the mystery of the human soul, evil - didn't interest newspapers, and news reporting bored me.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
In apartments and cottages, on the street and in the train... I listen... More and more, I turn into one large ear, always turning to another person.
Interpretation
The quote expresses the idea of deep listening and connection with others in everyday life.
Svetlana Alexievich reflects on the transformative power of listening, suggesting that as one engages with the world and the people in it, they become more attuned to the experiences and stories of others. This act of deep listening not only enhances personal understanding but also fosters a sense of community and shared humanity.
In practice
Using the quote in a discussion about the importance of listening in relationships.
The subjects I wanted to write about - the mystery of the human soul, evil - didn't interest newspapers, and news reporting bored me.
'Women's' war has its own colors, its own smells, its own lighting, and its own range of feelings. There are no heroes and incredible feats; there are simply people who are busy doing inhumanly human things.
There is no need to give in to the compromise that totalitarian regimes always count on.
I've been searching for a genre that would be most adequate to my vision of the world to convey how my ear hears and my eyes see life. I tried this and that, and finally, I chose a genre where human voices speak for themselves. But I don't just record a dry history of events and facts; I'm writing a history of human feelings.
From the point of view of art, the butcher and the victim are equal as people. You need to see the people.
Nothing, not even human life, is more precious to us than our myths about ourselves.
The argument that someone is a bad man is an inadequate argument for war and certainly an inadequate and unacceptable argument for regime change.
Folly loves the martyrdom of fame.
What you do, what you say, how you react to critical situations defines not just the moment, but it defines and shapes you.
Iβm me, and at the same time not me. Thatβs what it felt like. A very still, quiet feeling.
People mistakenly assume that their thinking is done by their head; it is actually done by the heart which first dictates the conclusion, then commands the head to provide the reasoning that will defend it.
Ethical axioms are found and tested not very differently from the axioms of science. Truth is what stands the test of experience.
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