It is in books, poems, paintings which often give us the confidence to take seriously feelings in ourselves that we might otherwise never have thought to acknowledge.
Alain De BottonRead
At the beginning of human history, as we struggled to light fires and to chisel fallen trees into rudimentary canoes, who could have predicted that long after we had managed to send men to the moon and areoplanes to Australasia, we would still have such trouble knowing how to tolerate ourselves, forgive our loved ones, and apologise for our tantrums?
Interpretation
What this quote means
Despite our technological advancements, we still struggle with interpersonal relationships and self-acceptance.
This quote reflects on the paradox of human progress; while we have achieved incredible feats in technology and exploration, we continue to face challenges in our emotional and relational lives. It urges us to consider that understanding and treating ourselves and others with kindness and forgiveness may be more difficult than overcoming physical challenges.
Themes
HumanityForgivenessSelf-AcceptanceRelationshipsProgress
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal growth and emotional intelligence.
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