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
Humanity does not ask us to be happy. It merely asks us to be brilliant on its behalf.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that our purpose is not just to seek happiness, but to excel and contribute to the greater good of humanity.
Orson Scott Card's quote suggests that rather than solely pursuing personal happiness, individuals should strive for excellence and brilliance in their endeavors for the benefit of humanity. It highlights the idea that our achievements and contributions to society can have a profound impact, and that true fulfillment may come from the efforts we make to uplift others and advance collective progress.
Themes
HumanityBrillianceContributionExcellencePurpose
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about community service, one could quote this to inspire volunteers to see their efforts as meaningful.
More from Orson Scott Card
All quotes →The world is always a democracy in times of flux, and the man with the best voice will win.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Orson Scott CardRead
I've had your tears with mine, and you've had mine with yours. I think that's more intimate even than a kiss.
Orson Scott CardRead
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You can't afford to hop around and act like a kid when you have to get back on defense and worry about the other parts of the game. But at the end, when the buzzer sounds, you have the luxury of hopping around and looking foolish for a while.
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