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One sometimes feels a guest of one's time and not a member of its household.
George F. Kennan
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects the feeling of being out of place or not fully belonging in the current era.

George F. Kennan's quote encapsulates the sentiment experienced by individuals who feel disconnected from the prevailing culture or societal norms of their time. It suggests that instead of feeling like an active participant in the world around them, they perceive themselves as a mere observer, highlighting the complexity of identity and belonging in a rapidly changing society.

Themes

DisconnectionIdentityBelongingSocietyTime

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used during a lecture on the nature of societal change and individual identity.

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It is an undeniable privilege of every man to prove himself right in the thesis that the world is his enemy; for if he reiterates it frequently enough and makes it the background of his conduct he is bound eventually to be right.
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Actually, the inability of any society to resist immigration, the inability to find other solutions to the problem of employment at the lower, more physical, and menial levels of the economic process, is a serious weakness, and possibly even a fatal one, in any national society. The fully healthy society would find ways to meet those needs out of its own resources.
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The accords were fig leaves of democratic procedure to hide the nakedness of Stalinist dictatorship.
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Quote by George F. Kennan | QuoteProject