Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
W. H. AudenRead
We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that our purpose is to assist others, while questioning the purpose of others.
W. H. Auden's quote reflects a profound truth about human existence, positing that the essence of life lies in our contributions to one another. It emphasizes altruism and the importance of community, while simultaneously provoking thought about the reciprocal nature of existence and whether everyone is truly engaged in a mutual effort to assist each other.
Themes
HelpOthersPurposeAltruismService
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a motivational speech about community service.
More from W. H. Auden
All quotes βThat the speech of self-disclosure should be translatable seems to me very odd, but I am convinced that it is. The conclusion that I draw is that the only quality which all human being without exception possess is uniqueness: any characteristic, on the other hand, which one individual can be recognized as having in common with another, like red hair or the English language, implies the existence of other individual qualities which this classification excludes.
W. H. AudenRead
Nobody knows what the cause is, though some pretend they do; it like some hidden assassin waiting to strike at you. Childless women get it, and men when they retire; it as if there had to be some outlet for their foiled creative fire.
W. H. AudenRead
History is, strictly speaking, the study of questions; the study of answers belongs to anthropology and sociology.
W. H. AudenRead
Music is the best means we have of digesting time.
W. H. AudenRead
'Healing,' Papa would tell me, 'is not a science, but the intuitive art of wooing nature.'
W. H. AudenRead
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We would rather see those to whom we do good, than those who do good to us.
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