And enough for me that when my hand touched your shoulder, you leaned on me; and when you felt me slip away, you called my name.
Orson Scott CardRead
A good working definition of fanaticism is that you are so convinced of your views and policies that you are sure that anyone who opposed them must be either stupid and decieved or have some ulterior motive. We are today a nation where almost everyone in the public eye displays fanaticism with every utterance.
Interpretation
Fanaticism involves an unwavering belief in one's views, characterizing opposition as ignorance or malice.
Orson Scott Card's quote critiques the nature of fanaticism, highlighting how it leads individuals to dismiss opposing viewpoints as either a sign of ignorance or a hidden agenda. He observes that this mindset is prevalent in society today, particularly among public figures, suggesting that such dogmatism inhibits meaningful discourse and understanding.
In practice
During a debate about politics, someone could use this quote to highlight the dangers of extreme partisanship.
And enough for me that when my hand touched your shoulder, you leaned on me; and when you felt me slip away, you called my name.
The world is always a democracy in times of flux, and the man with the best voice will win.
Never mind that the story had turned out to be lies and foolishness—there was always folks stupid enough to say, Where there's smoke there's fire, when the saying should have been, Where there's scandalous lies there's always malicious believers and spreaders-around, regardless of evidence.
The lives of all people flow through time, and, regardless of how brutal one moment may be, how filled with grief or pain or fear, time flows through all lives equally.
You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind.
I've had your tears with mine, and you've had mine with yours. I think that's more intimate even than a kiss.
But as a Scot with a lifelong love of Scotland and the arts, I believe the opportunity of independence is too good to miss. Simply put there is no more creative an act than creating a new nation.
He walked on in silence, the solitary sound of his footsteps echoing in his head, as in a deserted street, at dawn. His solitude was so complete, beneath a lovely sky as mellow and serene as a good conscience, amid that busy throng, that he was amazed at his own existence; he must be somebody else's nightmare, and whoever it was would certainly awaken soon.
The book, 'Citizen,' begins with daily encounters, little moments, places where language reveals how racism determines how we interact.
Now I'm an old Christmas tree, the roots of which have died. They just come along and while the little needles fall off me replace them with medallions.
Let every man of whatsoever craft or occupation he be of... serve his brethren.
Better to sleep in an uncomfortable bed free, than sleep in a comfortable bed unfree.
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