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We went to the Moon as technicians; we returned as humanitarians.
Edgar Mitchell
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The experience of going to the Moon shifted the perspective of the astronauts from mere technicians to compassionate beings aware of their global responsibility.

Edgar Mitchell's quote highlights how the journey to the Moon transformed the astronauts from their role as mere technical operators to individuals who gained a deeper understanding of humanity and their place within it. This profound experience fostered a sense of responsibility towards the Earth and its inhabitants, invoking a broader perspective on what it means to be human amidst the vastness of space.

Themes

MoonHumanitySpaceTransformationPerspective

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a speech to emphasize the importance of perspective in scientific endeavors.

More from Edgar Mitchell

We should be ready to reach out beyond our planet and beyond our solar system to find out what is really going on out there.
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We need to make the world safe for creativity and intuition, for it's creativity and intuition that will make the world safe for us.
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We're at a point in history were we have to become a part of the neighborhood of inhabited planets, like a neighborhood of a community, which we have not even acknowledged that that community exists up until this point.
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You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the moon, international politics looks so petty.
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My view of our planet was a glimpse of divinity.
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I experienced an ecstasy of unity. I not only saw the connectedness, I felt it and experienced it sentiently. The restraints and boundaries of flesh and bone fell away.
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