Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Longevity, like intelligence and good looks and health and strength of character, is largely a matter of genetic heritage. Choose your parents with care.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that many aspects of our life, including longevity, are influenced by our genetic background and the choices we make regarding our families.
Edward Abbey's quote points to the idea that certain intrinsic qualities, such as longevity, are not merely the result of personal choices or lifestyle, but rather are deeply rooted in our genetic heritage. This implies that understanding and acknowledging the role of our ancestry in shaping our lives is crucial, and it humorously suggests the importance of 'choosing' our parents wisely, hinting at the inherent limitations we have in determining the circumstances of our birth.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can motivate discussions in health seminars about the genetic factors influencing longevity.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes βI love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
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