If one harbours anywhere in one's mind a nationalistic loyalty or hatred, certain facts, although in a sense known to be true, are inadmissible.
George OrwellRead
Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the paradox of humanity's dominance despite its lack of physical contributions to nature.
George Orwell's quote reflects on the unique position of humans in the animal kingdom, illustrating how, unlike other creatures that provide sustenance through their natural abilities, humans consume resources without directly contributing to their production. This observation raises profound questions about the nature of power, privilege, and responsibility in society, challenging us to consider the implications of our consumption and the moral obligations that come with it.
Themes
HumanityConsumptionPowerNatureResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about environmental responsibility, one might say, 'As George Orwell pointed out, 'Man is the only creature that consumes without producing,' reminding us of our duty to give back to the Earth.
More from George Orwell
All quotes βThe creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
George OrwellRead
Political writing in our time consists almost entirely of prefabricated phrases bolted together like the pieces of a child's Meccano set. It is the unavoidable result of self-censorship. To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox.
George OrwellRead
Not to expose your true feelings to an adult seems to be instinctive from the age of seven or eight onwards.
George OrwellRead
As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents.
George OrwellRead
It is fatal to look hungry. It makes people want to kick you.
George OrwellRead
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People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.
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Humanity at the centre of the primates, Homo sapiens, in humanity, is the end-product of a gradual work of creation, the successive sketches for which still surround us on every side.
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Contemporary industrial society is now characterised more than ever by "the need for stupefying work where it is no longer a real necessity."
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The ear tends to be lazy, craves the familiar and is shocked by the unexpected; the eye, on the other hand, tends to be impatient, craves the novel and is bored by repetition.
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