And enough for me that when my hand touched your shoulder, you leaned on me; and when you felt me slip away, you called my name.
Orson Scott CardRead
And what? What's the other choice? To passively let things happen and then say: "Tut-tut, what at botch that was"? Don't we all manipulate people? Even if we openly ask them to make a choice, don't we try to frame it so they'll chose as we think they should?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the human tendency to influence decisions and suggests that passively observing events is not an acceptable choice.
In this quote, Orson Scott Card delves into the concept of human agency and manipulation in social interactions. He highlights that rather than simply allowing events to unfold and criticizing the outcomes, people often seek to guide others' choices, consciously or subconsciously trying to steer them towards preferred options. This raises questions about free will, responsibility for actions, and the ethics of influence in our relationships and decisions.
Themes
ManipulationChoicesInfluenceAgencyPassivityDecision-Making
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about leadership styles, this quote could illustrate the importance of active decision-making.
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Never mind that the story had turned out to be lies and foolishness—there was always folks stupid enough to say, Where there's smoke there's fire, when the saying should have been, Where there's scandalous lies there's always malicious believers and spreaders-around, regardless of evidence.
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The lives of all people flow through time, and, regardless of how brutal one moment may be, how filled with grief or pain or fear, time flows through all lives equally.
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You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind.
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I've had your tears with mine, and you've had mine with yours. I think that's more intimate even than a kiss.
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