For if we're destroyed, the knowledge is dead...We're nothing more than dust jackets for books...so many pages to a person.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the value of knowledge and the mortality of human life, emphasizing that our essence is tied to the knowledge we acquire and pass on.
Ray Bradbury's quote suggests that our existence is intricately linked to the knowledge we hold. If we lose our lives, the wisdom and experiences we have gathered become lost as well, likening human beings to mere 'dust jackets' that encase the profound knowledge represented by our 'pages.' It emphasizes the importance of cherishing and sharing knowledge, as it is ultimately what gives our lives depth and meaning.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a graduation speech to inspire students about the importance of knowledge.
I've written about 2,000 short stories; I've only published 300 and I feel I'm still learning. Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer. Ray Bradbury, 1967 interview (Doing the Math - that means for every story he sold, he wrote six "un-publishable" ones. Keep typing!)
I never went to college, so I went to the library.
There must be something in books, something we canβt imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You donβt stay for nothing.
I think the sun is a flower, That blooms for just one hour.
The first thing a writer should be is - excited. He should be a thing of fevers and enthusiasms. Without such vigor, he might as well be out picking peaches or digging ditches; God knows it'd be better for his health.
You can't try to do things; you simply must do them.
I think it's my job to risk looking foolish. One of the things I've learned from the actors I've worked with is you don't get something for nothing. If you don't risk looking foolish, you'll never do anything special.
In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.
It is a great piece of skill to know how to guide your luck even while waiting for it.
Youth is easily deceived because it is quick to hope.
Be careful with words, they're dangerous. Be wary of them. They begat either demons or angels. It's up to you to give life to one or the other. Be careful, I tell you, nothing is as dangerous as giving free rein to words
When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive knowledge.
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