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Every time I step onto an airplane, I turn to the right and take a good, hard stare into the maw of the engine. I don't know what I'm looking for. I just do it.
Barbara Kingsolver
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Interpretation

What this quote means

A sense of curiosity and contemplation arises when approaching an airplane's engine, despite not knowing what one seeks.

This quote by Barbara Kingsolver reflects an instinctual response to the powerful machinery of flight. It captures the mixture of awe and human curiosity when confronted with something so technologically advanced, hinting at our innate desire to understand the world around us, even when we do not fully comprehend the intent behind our actions.

Themes

AirplaneEngineCuriosityWonderTravel

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a speech about the marvels of technology and human curiosity.

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Sadness is more or less like a head cold - with patience, it passes. Depression is like cancer.
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I'm of a fearsome mind to throw my arms around every living librarian who crosses my path, on behalf of the souls they never knew they saved.
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I did it to win love, and to prove myself capable. Not to move mountains. In my opinions, mountains don't move. They only look changed when you look down on them from great height.
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Empathy is really the opposite of spiritual meanness. It's the capacity to understand that every war is both won and lost. And that someone else's pain is as meaningful as your own.
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