We burned with love for ourselves, all of us, starters of the fire we suffered- our love was the affliction for which only our love was the cure.
Jonathan Safran FoerRead
This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell in a newly found peace after he decided not to eat animals. Kafka recognized that fish as a member of his invisible family- not as his equal, of course, but as another being that was his concern.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the idea of recognizing the inherent value of all living beings and expanding one's sense of family to include them.
In this quote, Jonathan Safran Foer highlights Kafka's moment of enlightenment as he gazes at a fish, embodying a newfound peace that comes from refraining from consuming animals. This moment symbolizes a more profound understanding and compassion towards living beings, prompting us to rethink our connections and responsibilities toward nature, and to view all creatures as part of our broader family circle, deserving of care and concern.
Themes
CompassionAnimalsFamilyPeaceAwareness
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about environmental awareness, I would use this quote to emphasize the importance of recognizing our connection to all living beings.
More from Jonathan Safran Foer
All quotes →Memory was supposed to fill the time, but it made time a hole to be filled. Each second was two hundred yards, to be walked, crawled. You couldn't see the next hour, it was so far in the distance. Tomorrow was over the horizon, and would take an entire day to reach.
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She was not crying Which surprised me very much But I understand now That she had found places For her melancholy That were behind more masks Than only her eyes
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What do babies dream of? She must be dreaming of the before-life, just as I dream of the afterlife.
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A few weeks after the worst day, I started writing lots of letters. I don't know why, but it was one of the only things that made my boots lighter.
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What is being awake if not interpreting our dreams, or dreaming if not interpreting our wake?
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