History had been man's effort to accomodate himself to what he could not do. Amereican history in the 20th century would, more than ever before, test man's ability to accomodate himself to all the new things he could do.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
Not so many years ago there was no simpler or more intelligible notion than that of going on a journey. Travel -movement through space -provided the universal metaphor for change. One of the subtle confusions -perhaps one of the secret terrors -of modern life is that we have lost this refuge. No longer do we move through space as we once did.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on how the concept of travel has been a deep metaphor for personal and societal change, which has been lost in modern life.
Daniel J. Boorstin's quote explores the idea that travel has historically represented a clear and understandable journey, symbolizing the changes we experience in life. He suggests that in contemporary society, we have lost the essence of this metaphor, and as a result, our understanding of change has become muddled and confusing. The quote implies a longing for a time when movement through space was a straightforward expression of transformation, and it highlights the challenges of modernity that complicate our relationship with change.
Themes
JourneyTravelChangeModern LifeMetaphor
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal growth, one might say, 'As we embark on our journey of change, remember Daniel J. Boorstin's words on the lost art of travel.'
More from Daniel J. Boorstin
All quotes →The most promising words ever written on the maps of human knowledge are terra incognita, unknown territory.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
Human models are more vivid and more persuasive than explicit moral commands.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
Knowledge is not simply another commodity. On the contrary. Knowledge is never used up. It increases by diffusion and grows by dispersion.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
We need not be theologians to see that we have shifted responsibility for making the world interesting from God to the newspaperman.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
Similar quotes
Our Revolution emerged where it was least expected by the empire, in a hemisphere where it was used to acting like an all-powerful master.
Fidel CastroRead
Making a Different Choice Gives You the Opportunity to Live a Different Life.
Oprah WinfreyRead
Ring out old shapes of foul disease, Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Alfred Lord TennysonRead
They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.
Andy WarholRead
More girls were killed in the last 50 years, precisely because they were girls, than men killed in all the wars in the 20th century. More girls are killed in this routine gendercide in any one decade than people were slaughtered in all the genocides of the 20th century. The equivalent of 5 jumbo jets worth of women die in labor each day... life time risk of maternal death is 1,000x higher in a poor country than in the west. That should be an international scandal.
Nicholas D. KristofRead
Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society's margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies.
Kofi AnnanRead