We light the oven so that everyone may bake bread in it.
Jose MartiRead
An insatiable appetite for glory leads to sacrifice and death, but innate instinct leads to self-preservation and life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The desire for fame can result in severe consequences, while natural instincts prioritize survival and well-being.
The quote by Jose Marti highlights a fundamental conflict between the pursuit of glory and the instinctual drive for self-preservation. It suggests that an overwhelming desire for recognition and success can lead individuals to make significant sacrifices, often at great personal cost, including risking their lives. In contrast, innate instincts, which prioritize survival and life, should guide individuals towards more meaningful and sustainable choices.
Themes
GlorySacrificeSurvivalInstinctLife
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about following one's true path and avoiding unnecessary risks.
More from Jose Marti
All quotes βLike bones to the human body, the axle to the wheel, the wing to the bird, and the air to the wing, so is liberty the essence of life. Whatever is done without it is imperfect.
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Men have no special right because they belong to one race or another: the word man defines all rights.
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Other famous men, those of much talk and few deeds, soon evaporate. Action is the dignity of greatness.
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Man is a living duty, a depository of powers that he must not leave in a brute state. Man is a wing.
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Like stones rolling down hills, fair ideas reach their objectives despite all obstacles and barriers. It may be possible to speed or hinder them, but impossible to stop them.
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