The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
George OrwellRead
If one harbours anywhere in one's mind a nationalistic loyalty or hatred, certain facts, although in a sense known to be true, are inadmissible.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Nationalistic sentiments can distort our perception of truth.
George Orwell highlights how loyalty or animosity towards a nation can cloud one's judgment and hinder the acceptance of certain truths. This quote suggests that strong nationalistic feelings can lead individuals to reject facts that contradict their beliefs or allegiances, thus illustrating the dangers of letting emotion overshadow reason and objective understanding.
Themes
NationalismTruthJudgmentLoyaltyHatred
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on globalization, this quote could illustrate the challenges of accepting different perspectives.
More from George Orwell
All quotes βPolitical writing in our time consists almost entirely of prefabricated phrases bolted together like the pieces of a child's Meccano set. It is the unavoidable result of self-censorship. To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox.
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Not to expose your true feelings to an adult seems to be instinctive from the age of seven or eight onwards.
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I sometimes think that the price of liberty is not so much eternal vigilance as eternal dirt.
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