It is by all odds the loftiest of cities. It even managed to reach the highest point in the sky at the lowest moment of the depression.
E. B. WhiteRead
There is nothing more likely to start disagreement among people or countries than an agreement.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Agreements can lead to disagreements due to differing interpretations and expectations.
E. B. White's quote highlights the paradox that agreements, which are intended to unite people or entities, can often be sources of conflict instead. This is because the nuances and specifics within an agreement can be interpreted differently by individuals or nations, leading to misunderstandings and disputes, thereby illustrating the complexity of human relationships and the challenge of consensus.
Themes
AgreementDisagreementUnderstandingConflictInterpretation
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a debate to highlight the complexities of diplomatic agreements.
More from E. B. White
All quotes βIt isn't silence you can cut with a knife any more, it's interchange of ideas. Intelligent discussion of practically everything is what is breaking up modern marriage.
E. B. WhiteRead
The main thing I try to do is write as clearly as I can. Because I have the greatest respect for the reader, and if he's going to the trouble of reading what I've written -- I'm a slow reader myself and I guess most people are -- why, the least I can do is make it as easy as possible for him to find out what I'm trying to say, trying to get at. I rewrite a good deal to make it clear.
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A good farmer is nothing more nor less than a handy man with a sense of humus.
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A despot doesn't fear eloquent writers preaching freedom- he fears a drunken poet who may crack a joke that will take hold.
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All writing is communication; creative writing is communication through revelation-it is the Self-escaping into the open.
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