To say 'I love you' one must first be able to say the 'I.'
Ayn RandRead
Identify the dominant philosophy of a society and you can predict its future.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The guiding philosophy of a society shapes its future outcomes and direction.
This quote emphasizes the importance of understanding the core values and beliefs that drive a society's actions. By identifying the dominant philosophy, one can foresee how it will influence decisions, behaviors, and the overall trajectory of that society in the future.
Themes
PhilosophySocietyFutureValuesBeliefs
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the impact of cultural values on political decisions.
More from Ayn Rand
All quotes βThe difference between animals and humans is that animals change themselves for the environment, but humans change the environment for themselves.
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It is my eyes which see, and the sight of my eyes grants beauty to the earth. It is my ears which hear, and the hearing of my ears gives its song to the world. It is my mind which thinks, and the judgement of my mind is the only searchlight that can find the truth. It is my will which chooses, and the choice of my will is the only edict I must respect.
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What is the basic, the essential, the crucial principle that differentiates freedom from slavery? It is the principle of voluntary action versus physical coercion or compulsion.
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One method of destroying a concept is by diluting its meaning. Observe that by ascribing rights to the unborn, i.e., the nonliving, the anti-abortionists obliterate the rights of the living.
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I think that when in doubt about the truth of an issue, it's safer and in better taste to select the least numerous of the adversaries.
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God cannot alter the past, though historians can.
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LAUGHTER is the very essence of religion. Seriousness is never religious, cannot be religious. Seriousness is of the ego, part of the very disease. Laughter is egolessness. Yes, there is a difference between when you laugh and when a religious man laughs. The difference is that you laugh always about others - the religious man laughs at himself, or at the whole ridiculousness of man's being. Religion cannot be anything other than a celebration of life.
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I had it then. Soda fought for fun, Steve for hatred, Darry for pride, and Two-Bit for conformity. Why do I fight? I thought, and couldn't think of any real good reason. There isn't any real good reason for fighting except self-defense.
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For all things come from earth, and all things end by becoming earth.
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Nothing forces us to know What we do not want to know Except pain
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It is very easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements in comparison with what we owe others.
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