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Gods, religions and national boundaries are absolutely imaginary. They don't tend to exist. As soon as you pull back half a mile and look down at the Earth there are no national boundaries. There aren't even national boundaries when you get down and walk around. They're just imaginary lines we draw on maps. I just get fascinated by people who assume that things that are imaginary have no relevance to their lives.
Neil Gaiman
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes the arbitrary nature of societal constructs like religion and national boundaries, suggesting they are mere illusions.

Neil Gaiman highlights the idea that concepts such as gods, religions, and national borders are creations of human thought, and when viewed from a broader perspective, they lose their significance. These imaginary constructs can influence people's lives significantly, despite being fundamentally superficial. Gaiman points out the irony of individuals who cling to these illusions and take them as absolute truths in their lives.

Themes

ImaginaryBoundariesSocietyIllusionPerspective

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a discussion about global unity and the artificial nature of borders.

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