Everyone is born into a certain era. I wouldn't want to see anyone faced with the circumstances that prevailed at the time, when there were few or no alternatives.
Gunter GrassRead
Where man had been, in every place he left, garbage remained. Even in his pursuit of the ultimate truth and quest for his God, he produced garbage. By his garbage, which lay stratum upon stratum, he could always - one had only to dig - be known. For more long-lived than man is his refuse. Garbage alone lives after him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the impact of human actions and the enduring nature of our waste, both physical and metaphorical.
Gunter Grass suggests that humanity's legacy is not just defined by our achievements or quests for truth but also by the remnants we leave behind—our 'garbage.' This garbage symbolizes the physical and philosophical detritus of our lives, indicating that while our pursuits may be noble, they often result in destructive consequences that linger long after we are gone, shaping the world in ways we might not fully comprehend. The quote invites reflection on how we are remembered and the importance of considering our environmental and ethical footprints.
Themes
GarbageLegacyEnvironmentImpactTruthHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about sustainability, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of reducing waste.
More from Gunter Grass
All quotes →I wept when the muse Ulla bent over me. Blinded by tears I could not prevent her from kissing me, I could not prevent the Muse from giving me that terrible kiss. All of you who have ever been kissed by the Muse will surely understand that Oskar, once branded by that kiss, was condemned to take back the drum he had rejected years before, the drum he had buried in the sand of Sapse Cemetery.
Gunter GrassRead
Today I know that all things are watching, that nothing goes unseen, that even wallpaper has a better memory than human beings.
Gunter GrassRead
I did not volunteer for the Waffen SS, but was, as were thousands of my year group, conscripted. I did not then know as a 17-year-old that it was a criminal unit. I thought it was an elite unit.
Gunter GrassRead
Art is uncompromising, and life is full of compromises.
Gunter GrassRead
If work and leisure are soon to be subordinated to this one utopian principle - absolute busyness - then utopia and melancholy will come to coincide: an age without conflict will dawn, perpetually busy - and without consciousness.
Gunter GrassRead
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