It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
The explorer who will not come back or send back his ships to tell his tale is not an explorer, only an adventurer; and his sons are born in exile.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Explorers share their discoveries, while mere adventurers do not contribute to the knowledge of others.
Ursula K. Le Guin's quote emphasizes the difference between true explorers and adventurers. An explorer not only ventures into the unknown but also returns to share their experiences and knowledge, enriching the world. In contrast, an adventurer may pursue their journey solely for personal gratification, leaving subsequent generations in a state of ignorance and longing, as they do not benefit from the lessons learned.
Themes
ExplorationKnowledgeAdventureSharingLegacy
In practice
Example use cases
A motivational speech about the importance of sharing experiences can include this quote.
More from Ursula K. Le Guin
All quotes βIn reading a novel, any novel, we have to know perfectly well that the whole thing is nonsense, and then, while reading, believe every word of it. Finally, when we're done with it, we may find - if it's a good novel - that we're a bit different from what we were before we read it, that we have changed a little... But it's very hard to say just what we learned, how we were changed.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
Reason is a faculty far larger than mere objective force. When either the political or the scientific discourse announces itself as the voice of reason, it is playing God, and should be spanked and stood in the corner.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel... is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
When he found that the administrators were upset, he laughed. βDo they expect students not to be anarchists?β he said. βWhat else can the young be? When you are on the bottom, you must organize from the bottom up
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
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