Life expects of you duties which appear repugnant to you. You must now know that the most important thing is not duties but what permits you to be someone good and just. There are many who will say to you that this is a piece of asocial advice, but you only have to reply to them: When the forms of society are so hard and hostile to life, it is more important to be asocial than inhuman
Interpretation
Life demands responsibilities that may seem unappealing, yet being good and just is more vital than fulfilling those duties.
This quote emphasizes the moral imperative of prioritizing goodness and justice over societal expectations that may be burdensome or unjust. The author, Stig Dagerman, suggests that in a society that can be harsh and unkind, it is not merely acceptable, but sometimes necessary, to reject socially imposed duties if they compromise one's humanity or moral integrity.
In practice
During a speech on ethical leadership, one might reference this quote to highlight the importance of moral choices over societal expectations.
We live with a distinct double standard about male and female aggression. Women's aggression isn't considered real. It isn't dangerous; it's only cute. Or it's always self-defense or otherwise inspired by a man. In the rare case where a woman is seen as genuinely responsible, she is branded a monster - an 'unnatural' woman.
Thou shalt not transgress the carrying capacity
It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the Moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion elements.
Life has many good things. The problem is that most of these good things can be gotten only by sacrificing other good things. We all recognize this in our daily lives. It is only in politics that this simple, common sense fact is routinely ignored.
It is flat-out strange that something-that anything-is happening at all. There was nothing then a Big Bang, then here we all are. This is extremely weird.
Now, race is one of those topics in America that makes people extraordinarily uncomfortable. You bring it up at a dinner party or in a workplace environment, it is literally the conversational equivalent of touching the third rail.
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