It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
If civilization has an opposite, it is war.
Interpretation
Civilization and war are opposing forces in human society.
In this quote, Ursula K. Le Guin asserts that war is the antithesis of civilization, highlighting the contrast between the structured, peaceful, and progress-oriented nature of civilization and the chaos, destruction, and regression brought about by war. This dichotomy prompts reflection on the fundamental values of society and the ways in which conflict undermines human advancement.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the value of peace in promoting a civilized society.
It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
In reading a novel, any novel, we have to know perfectly well that the whole thing is nonsense, and then, while reading, believe every word of it. Finally, when we're done with it, we may find - if it's a good novel - that we're a bit different from what we were before we read it, that we have changed a little... But it's very hard to say just what we learned, how we were changed.
Reason is a faculty far larger than mere objective force. When either the political or the scientific discourse announces itself as the voice of reason, it is playing God, and should be spanked and stood in the corner.
The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.
We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel... is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.
When he found that the administrators were upset, he laughed. βDo they expect students not to be anarchists?β he said. βWhat else can the young be? When you are on the bottom, you must organize from the bottom up
One's true worth as a human being is not a matter of outward appearance or title, but derives rather from the breadth of one's spirit. Everything comes down to faith and conviction. It is what is in one's heart, and the substance of one's actions that count.
Human life is reduced to real suffering, to hell, only when two ages, two cultures and religions overlap.
The rule of law means that law and justice are upheld by an independent judiciary. The judgments of the European Court of Justice have to be respected by all. To undermine them, or to undermine the independence of national courts, is to strip citizens of their fundamental rights. The rule of law is not optional in the European Union. It is a must.
Imagine, just for the sake of discussion, that you had a few hours a week and a few dollars a month to donate to a cause - and you wanted to spend that time and money where it would have the greatest impact in saving and improving lives. Where would you spend it?
I do not hold to non-violence for moral reasons, but for political and practical reasons.
There aren't that many monsters. It's very hard to create a new monster.
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