Living substance conquers the frenzy of destruction only in the ecstasy of procreation.
Walter BenjaminRead
All the decisive blows are struck left-handed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that unconventional or unexpected methods can lead to significant outcomes.
Walter Benjamin's quote implies that many of the most impactful actions or ideas come from the unconventional or left-handed approach, symbolizing creativity and non-traditional thinking. It encourages us to consider perspectives and solutions that may not be mainstream but can be powerful in their effectiveness.
Themes
DecisiveCreativeLeft-HandedUnconventionalImpact
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about embracing creativity, one might reference this quote to inspire novel thinking.
More from Walter Benjamin
All quotes →The illiterate of the future will not be the man who cannot read the alphabet, but the one who cannot take a photograph.
Walter BenjaminRead
If mythic violence is lawmaking, divine violence is law-destroying; if the former sets boundaries, the latter boundlessly destroys them; if mythic violence brings at once guilt and retribution, divine power only expiates; if the former threatens, the latter strikes; if the former is bloody, the latter is lethal without spilling blood
Walter BenjaminRead
Writers are really people who write books not because they are poor, but because they are dissatisfied with the books which they could buy but do not like.
Walter BenjaminRead
Nothing is poorer than a truth expressed as it was thought. Committed to writing in such cases, it is not even a bad photograph. Truth wants to be startled abruptly, at one stroke, from her self-immersion, whether by uproar, music or cries for help.
Walter BenjaminRead
I am unpacking my library. Yes I am. The books are not yet on the shelves, not yet touched by the mild boredom of order.
Walter BenjaminRead
Similar quotes
Since God often sends us inspirations by means of His angels, we should frequently return our aspirations to him by means of the same messengers.
Saint Francis De SalesRead
Blameless people are always the most exasperating.
George EliotRead
There is no doubt that solitude is a challenge and to maintain balance within it a precarious business. But I must not forget that, for me, being with people or even with one beloved person for any length of time without solitude is even worse. I lose my center. I feel dispersed, scattered, in pieces. I must have time alone in which to mull over my encounter, and to extract its juice, its essence, to understand what has really happened to me as a consequence of it.
May SartonRead
When my father was born, it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. When I was born, it was Lithuania. When I left, it was Hungary. It is difficult to say where I come from.
Elie WieselRead
The great European dream was to diminish militant nationalism. We would all be happy Europeans together. But we are going to see the old monster of militant nationalism being awoken when people realise how little control their politicians have.
Antony BeevorRead
The Gospel lives in conversation with culture, and if the Church holds back from the culture, the Gospel itself falls silent. Therefore, we must be fearless in crossing the threshold of the communication and information revolution now taking place.
Pope John Paul IiRead