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That's the duty of the old, to be anxious on behalf of the young. And the duty of the young is to scorn the anxiety of the old.
Philip Pullman
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The older generation cares for the younger generation, while the youth often dismiss this concern.

In this quote, Philip Pullman expresses the dynamic relationship between the older and younger generations. He suggests that it is the responsibility of older individuals to worry about the future of the young, reflecting their care and concern, while also acknowledging that the young often respond with dismissiveness or scorn towards this anxiety, indicating a natural generational gap in understanding and perspectives on life.

Themes

AnxietyYouthDutyGenerationsRelationships

In practice

Example use cases

During a family gathering, you could share this quote to spark a discussion about generational differences.

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To get the best out of life here ...Good grief. There's plenty of it about, so indulge. Give yourself some thing to remember. Fall in love. Fall out of love. Gamble. Get drunk. See how long you can stay awake. Go for long walks at night. Discover what you're afraid of doing, and then do it.
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I told him I was going to betray you, and betray Lyra, and he believed me because I was corrupt and full of wickedness; he looked so deep I felt sure he'd see the truth. But I lied too well. I was lying with every nerve and fiber and everything I'd ever done...I wanted him to find no good in me, and he didn't. There is none.
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Lyra learns to her great cost that fantasy isn’t enough. She has been lying all her life, telling stories to people, making up fantasies, and suddenly she comes to a point where that’s not enough. All she can do is tell the truth. She tells the truth about her childhood, about the experiences she had in Oxford, and that is what saves her. True experience, not fantasy - reality, not lies - is what saves us in the end.
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