If the composer withholds more than we anticipate, we experience a delicious falling sensation; we feel we have been torn from a stable point on the musical ladder and thrust into the void.
Levi StraussRead
In the old days, people used to risk their lives in India or in the Americas in order to bring back products which now seem to us to have been of comically little worth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the human tendency to value material possessions differently over time and in different contexts.
Levi Strauss highlights how historical perceptions of value can change dramatically, illustrating that items once deemed valuable enough to risk one’s life for may now seem trivial or humorous. This observation serves as a reminder of the subjective nature of value and how societal and cultural shifts can reshape our understanding of worth.
Themes
ValueWorthHistoryPerceptionSociety
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about consumerism at a philosophy club.
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All quotes →We can understand, too, that natural species are chosen not because they are 'good to eat' but because they are 'good to think.'
Levi StraussRead
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