So long as we only believe in the justice of the state, of the law-made by those in power, to serve those in power-so long will we continue to be exploited by those in power.
Derrick JensenRead
When dams were erected on the Columbia, salmon battered themselves against the concrete, trying to return home. I expect no less from us. We too must hurl ourselves against and through the literal and metaphorical concrete that contains and constrains us, that keeps us from talking about what is most important to us, that keeps us from living the way our bones know we can, that bars us from our home. It only takes one person to bring down a dam.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of persevering against obstacles to achieve true freedom and fulfillment.
Derrick Jensen's quote reflects the struggle against both tangible and intangible barriers that prevent individuals from expressing their true selves and connecting with what genuinely matters to them. By comparing human resilience to the tenacity of salmon trying to return home despite physical barriers, Jensen inspires a sense of courage and determination to break through limitations, suggesting that even one person’s effort can lead to significant change and liberation.
Themes
CourageResiliencePerseveranceFreedomChange
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about overcoming adversity, you can use this quote to inspire your audience.
More from Derrick Jensen
All quotes →The stories we are told shape the way we see the world, which shapes the way we experience the world.
Derrick JensenRead
Those in power have made it so we have to pay simply to exist on the planet. We have to pay for a place to sleep, and we have to pay for food. If we don't, people with guns come and force us to pay. That's violent.
Derrick JensenRead
So many indigenous people have said to me that the fundamental difference between Western and indigenous ways of being is that even the most open-minded westerners generally view listening to the natural world as a metaphor, as opposed to the way the world really is. Trees and rocks and rivers really do have things to say to us.
Derrick JensenRead
The big dividing line is not and has never been between those who advocate more or less militant forms of resistance, or between mainstream and grassroots activists. The dividing line is between those who do something and those who do nothing.
Derrick JensenRead
By deafening ourselves to the emotional consequences of violence we have become confused by its relationship to sex. We have come to believe that violence equals aggression, and we have come to base our model of sexuality on our model of violence... converting an act of aggression into an act of consensual sexuality.
Derrick JensenRead
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