Killing a man in defense of an idea is not defending an idea; it is killing a man.
Jean-Luc GodardRead
Objects exist and if one pays more attention to them than to people, it is precisely because they exist more than the people. Dead objects are still alive. Living people are often already dead.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that inanimate objects may hold more presence than people who do not engage with life fully.
Jean-Luc Godard's quote reflects on the nature of existence and perception, arguing that objects, though lifeless, have a tangible presence that can often overshadow the way we engage with living people. He suggests that people may appear to be alive yet fail to truly live, while objects maintain a consistent existence regardless of human acknowledgment.
Themes
ExistencePerceptionObjectsPeopleLife
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical discussion about what it means to truly live, this quote might illustrate how people can be overshadowed by material possessions.
More from Jean-Luc Godard
All quotes →I don't think you should feel about a film. You should feel about a woman, not a movie. You can't kiss a movie.
Jean-Luc GodardRead
Sometime reality is too complex. Stories give it form.
Jean-Luc GodardRead
More or less, I am always saying, 'Give me more. Let's do what has not been done.'
Jean-Luc GodardRead
Cinema is not a series of abstract ideas, but rather the phrasing of moments.
Jean-Luc GodardRead
Suddenly, I don't know what to say. It happens often to me. I know what I want to say, I think about whether it is what I mean, but when the moment comes to speak, I can't say it. - Nana Kleinfrankenheim, Vivre Sa Vie.
Jean-Luc GodardRead
Similar quotes
Live by publicity, you'll probably die by publicity.
Russell BakerRead
I've never been interested enough to have a career trajectory. I've never had any ambition or thought of what I should be doing or had any idea of what I'd like to do. Never. And still don't. And if something comes along, I say 'Fine.'
Joanna LumleyRead
Every man on earth is sick with the fever of sin, with the blindness of sin and is overcome with its fury. As sins consist mostly of malice and pride, it is necessary to treat everyone who suffers from the malady of sin with kindness and love. This is an important truth, which we often forget. Very often we act in the opposite manner: we add malice to malice by our anger, we oppose pride with pride. Thus, evil grows within us and does not decrease; it is not cured - rather it spreads
John Of KronstadtRead
Language is a virus from outer space.
William S. BurroughsRead
When government - in pursuit of good intentions - tries to rearrange the economy, legislate morality, or help special interests, the cost come in inefficiency, lack of motivation, and loss of freedom. Government should be a referee, not an active player.
Milton FriedmanRead
Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.
Saint AugustineRead