QuoteProject
Where is the indignation about the fact that the US and USSR have thirty thousand pounds of destructive force for every human being in the world?
Norman Cousins
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote expresses outrage over the overwhelming destructive power held by superpowers, highlighting the moral implications for humanity.

Norman Cousins' quote emphasizes the disproportionate accumulation of nuclear arsenals by the United States and the Soviet Union, questioning the ethical and humanitarian consequences of possessing such catastrophic power. It calls for greater public indignation and awareness regarding the relationship between military might and the safety of humanity, urging individuals to reflect on the values that underpin peace and existence in a world threatened by such overwhelming destructive potential.

Themes

IndignationDestructive ForceNuclear ArmsHumanityPeace

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about global security, one might reference this quote to emphasize the need for disarmament.

More from Norman Cousins

Respect for the fragility and importance of an individual life is still the mark of an educated man.
Norman CousinsRead
Never deny a diagnosis, but do deny the negative verdict that may go with it.
Norman CousinsRead
Although a man may have no jurisdiction over the fact of his existence, he can hold supreme command over the meaning of existence for him.
Norman CousinsRead
People are never more insecure than when they become obsessed with their fears at the expense of their dreams.
Norman CousinsRead
Reverence for life is more than solicitude or sensitivity for life. It is a sense of the whole, a capacity for inspired response, a respect for the intricate universe of individual life. It is the supreme awareness of awareness itself.
Norman CousinsRead
Drugs are not always necessary. Belief in recovery always is.
Norman CousinsRead

Similar quotes

Though we feel we can choose what we do, our understanding of the molecular basis of biology shows that biological processes are governed by the laws of physics and chemistry and therefore are as determined as the orbits of the planets.
Stephen HawkingRead
It is many times with a fraudulent Design that men stick their corrupt Doctrine with the Cloves of other mens Wit.
Thomas HobbesRead
Ecology is often confused with environmentalism, while in fact, environmentalism often leaves out the fact that people, too, can be a legitimate part of an ecosystem.
Frank HerbertRead
Unsung, the noblest deed will die.
PindarRead
The worst thing for a writer is to know another writer, and worse than that, to know a number of other writers. Like flies on the same turd.
Charles BukowskiRead
The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure, but from hope to hope.
Samuel JohnsonRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.