I don't think the world will destroy itself in a nuclear cataclysm. On the contrary, we have the capacity to save ourselves and save the planet, and we will use it.
Isabel AllendeRead
One of the characteristics of North American culture is that you can always start again. You can always move forward, cross a border of a state or a city or a county, and move West, most of the time West. You leave behind guilt, past traditions, memories.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the ability to start anew and embrace change in North American culture.
Isabel Allende's quote reflects the idea that North American culture encourages individuals to leave behind their past and welcome new beginnings. It suggests that through physical movement—be it changing cities or states—people can shed their guilt and traditions, making way for personal growth and exploration. The metaphor of moving West symbolizes not only a geographical journey but also a mental or emotional one, where one chooses to embrace new opportunities and experiences.
Themes
ChangeNew BeginningsGrowthFreedomTravel
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about overcoming obstacles and starting fresh.
More from Isabel Allende
All quotes →My mother is a great artist, but she always treated her paintings like minor postcards. Had she pursued it, she would have been a great artist. Instead, she looked down on her art.
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I never try to convey a message, I just want to tell a story. Why that story in particular? I have no idea, but I have learned to surrender to the muse. I become obsessed with a theme or with certain stories; they haunt me for years, and finally, I write them.
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My life is about ups and downs, great joys and great losses.
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I'm interested in people who have to overcome obstacles, people who are not sheltered by the umbrella of the establishment, marginals.
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I'm a writer. In Latin America, they say I'm a Latin-American writer because I also write in Spanish and my books are translated, but I am an American citizen and my books are published here, so I'm also an American writer.
Isabel AllendeRead
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