We never stop investigating. We are never satisfied that we know enough to get by. Every question we answer leads on to another question. This has become the greatest survival trick of our species.
Desmond MorrisRead
Life is like a very short visit to a toyshop between birth and death.
Interpretation
Life is fleeting and should be cherished, akin to a brief visit to a playful place.
Desmond Morris's quote reflects on the brevity and transitory nature of life. By comparing life to a short visit to a toyshop, he suggests that we should appreciate the joy and wonder of our existence, as it is limited in duration and filled with moments of delight, much like choosing toys in a shop before leaving.
In practice
Use this quote in a motivational speech about making the most of our time.
We never stop investigating. We are never satisfied that we know enough to get by. Every question we answer leads on to another question. This has become the greatest survival trick of our species.
Clearly, then, the city is not a concrete jungle, it is a human zoo.
We read off the many signals that our companions' clothes transmit to us in every social encounter. In this way, clothing is as much a part of human body language as gestures, facial expressions and postures.Even those people who insist that they despise attention to clothing, and dress as casually as possible, are making quite specific comments on their social roles and their attitudes towards the culture in which they live.
...In little more than a single century from 1820 to 19450, no less than fifty-nine million human animals were killed in inter-group clashes of one sort or another.... We describe these killings as men behaving "like animals," but if we could find a wild animal that showed signs of acting this way, it would be more precise to describe it as behaving like men.
I've had a very full life, and I've enjoyed it very much. I've learned a great deal and feel indebted to all the people who have worked so hard.
In his life, a man can change wives, political parties or religions but he cannot change his favourite soccer team.
Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.
And yet, now that years have passed, I recall it and wonder that it could distress me so much. It will be the same thing, too, with this trouble. Time will go by and I shall not mind about this either.
There is no true life. Your true life is the one you end up with, whatever it may be. You just do the best you can with what you've got.
I've had some wins. And been knocked down with defeats. Glimpsed views from the top of the mountain. And walked through the darkest of valleys. But through this entire ride called 'a life' - I've refused to give up.
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