Don't take shadows too seriously. Reality is your only safety. Continue to reject illusion.
Wole SoyinkaRead
The arrogant elimination of the Djaouts of our world must nerve us to pursue our own combative doctrine, namely: that peaceful cohabitation on this planet demands that while the upholders of any creed are free to adopt their own existential absolutes, the right of others to do the same is thereby rendered implicit and sacrosanct. Thus the creed of inquiry, of knowledge and exchange of ideas, must be upheld as an absolute, as ancient and eternal as any other.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of respecting diverse beliefs while advocating for the freedom of inquiry and exchange of ideas.
Wole Soyinka asserts that for peaceful coexistence on Earth, it is essential to recognize and uphold the right of individuals to hold their own beliefs and existential views. He argues that, while people are free to adopt their own creeds, this freedom must also extend to others, ensuring that the pursuit of knowledge and open dialogue remains a fundamental right that is acknowledged as crucial for societal harmony.
Themes
InquiryKnowledgeFreedomCohabitationCreed
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a discussion on interfaith dialogue.
More from Wole Soyinka
All quotes →Trading and religion have always been aligned together in the history of the world, and especially on the African continent.
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A war, with its attendant human suffering, must, when that evil is unavoidable, be made to fragment more than buildings: It must shatter the foundations of thought and re-create. Only in this way does every individual share in the cataclysm and understand the purpose of sacrifice.
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Rwanda, which is one of the younger independent states in Africa, must be regarded as a model of how great human trauma can be transformed to commence true reconstruction of people. Human trauma can lead to stunted growth and mass withdrawal.
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I have a kind of magnetic attraction to situations of violence.
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Art is solace; art is vision, and when I pick up a literary work, I am a consumer of literature for its own sake.
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