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Competitive sports may be where exercise becomes 'fun' for children who are good at it, but for those who are less talented, it is where exercise becomes not only physically demanding but also emotionally painful and socially humiliating.
Naomi Alderman
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Sports can be enjoyable for talented children but may cause stress for those who struggle.

Naomi Alderman's quote highlights the dual nature of competitive sports among children. While those who excel find joy and fun in athletic endeavors, those who face challenges may encounter not just physical demands but also emotional distress and social humiliation, emphasizing the need for a more inclusive approach to sports and exercise that accommodates all skill levels.

Themes

SportsChildrenExerciseCompetitionEmotional Pain

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a discussion about youth sports programs at a community meeting.

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Writers of feminist dystopian fiction are alert to the realities that grind down women's lives, that make the unthinkable suddenly thinkable.
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When a marriage founders, this may well be cause for tremendous sadness, but it's not a failure of spirit or character. People change, their goals and dreams alter, their ideas of themselves grow, or they just meet someone they like better.
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One of the hardest challenges posed by the modern world is how to deal with abundance. It's even harder to confront because admitting that it's a problem seems spoiled.
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I hope that there are many more women out there writing bits of feminist sci-fi. And men, also - men are allowed to write feminist things.
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The arts are valuable because they increase our sense of what it means to be human, not because of any specific skill or ability they confer.
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