Living substance conquers the frenzy of destruction only in the ecstasy of procreation.
Walter BenjaminRead
As long as there is still one beggar around, there will still be myth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The presence of suffering and poverty fuels myths and narratives in society.
Walter Benjamin's quote highlights the idea that as long as there is inequality and hardship in the world, myths that explain and rationalize these conditions will persist. The beggar symbolizes the societal issues faced by the marginalized, and the mention of myth suggests that these narratives serve a purpose in helping people make sense of life's complexities, particularly those stemming from social injustice and suffering.
Themes
MythBeggarSocietyInequalityNarrative
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about social justice, one might refer to this quote to emphasize the need for addressing poverty.
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If mythic violence is lawmaking, divine violence is law-destroying; if the former sets boundaries, the latter boundlessly destroys them; if mythic violence brings at once guilt and retribution, divine power only expiates; if the former threatens, the latter strikes; if the former is bloody, the latter is lethal without spilling blood
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Writers are really people who write books not because they are poor, but because they are dissatisfied with the books which they could buy but do not like.
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Nothing is poorer than a truth expressed as it was thought. Committed to writing in such cases, it is not even a bad photograph. Truth wants to be startled abruptly, at one stroke, from her self-immersion, whether by uproar, music or cries for help.
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I am unpacking my library. Yes I am. The books are not yet on the shelves, not yet touched by the mild boredom of order.
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