When you're writing, you're conjuring. It's a ritual, and you need to be brave and respectful and sometimes get out of the way of whatever it is that you're inviting into the room.
Tom WaitsRead
Everything is explained now. We live in an age when you say casually to somebody 'What's the story on that?' and they can run to the computer and tell you within five seconds. That's fine, but sometimes I’d just as soon continue wondering. We have a deficit of wonder right now.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on society's reliance on technology for information, highlighting a loss of curiosity and wonder.
Tom Waits expresses concern over the modern tendency to seek immediate answers through technology, suggesting that this convenience comes at the cost of curiosity and the joy of exploration. He points out that while it's easy to access information quickly, there is value in wondering and pondering the unknown, indicating that this deficit of wonder might detract from the richness of human experience.
Themes
WonderCuriosityTechnologyInformationExploration
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech on education, one might use this quote to discuss the importance of nurturing curiosity in students.
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It is so characteristic, that just when the mechanics of reproduction are so vastly improved, there are fewer and fewer people who know how the music should be played.
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