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Which painting in the National Gallery would I save if there was a fire? The one nearest the door of course.
George Bernard Shaw
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Prioritizing what is most accessible and practical in a crisis often reveals our true values.

This quote by George Bernard Shaw humorously highlights the instinctual human behavior of choosing the most convenient option in urgent situations. It suggests that in moments of panic or urgency, the practicality of our choices can sometimes overshadow deeper emotional attachments, revealing a more pragmatic side to our decision-making.

Themes

ArtDecision MakingPragmatismValuesCrisis

In practice

Example use cases

During a discussion on the importance of having clear priorities in emergencies.

More from George Bernard Shaw

What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
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Marriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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