What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
Nothing is ever done in this world until men are prepared to kill one another if it is not done.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that significant actions or changes often require extreme measures, including conflict or violence, to be realized.
George Bernard Shaw's quote reflects on the harsh reality of human history, positing that many accomplishments or changes in society are often precipitated by conflict and the willingness to confront opposition, sometimes violently. This perspective encourages a deep reflection on the motives behind social progress and the moral complexities of human interactions, suggesting that it takes a serious commitment, even to the point of aggression, to bring about substantial change.
Themes
ConflictChangeViolenceSocietyAction
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about social reform, one might use this quote to illustrate the lengths that have historically been necessary to effect change.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes βMarriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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I become more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of Hussein, the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers and his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle.
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