Why do we as a people choose to live in beautiful and risky places? Beautiful places are relatively dangerous; the forces that made them beautiful are the same forces that will ultimately destroy them.
Interpretation
We are drawn to beautiful yet perilous locations, which are shaped by the same natural forces that can lead to their destruction.
This quote by Simon Winchester reflects on the paradox of human attraction to stunning landscapes that often come with inherent risks. It suggests that while beauty captivates us, it is also a reminder of nature's unpredictable power, as the geological forces that create breathtaking environments can also lead to their demise. This duality of attraction and danger highlights our complex relationship with the natural world.
In practice
During a speech on environmental conservation, this quote could be used to emphasize the need to protect our beautiful yet vulnerable natural landscapes.
Nature is not evil. The world occasionally shrugs its shoulders, and people get knocked off. The earth, for geological reasons that are well known, is a fairly risky place to live. To be evil, you have to have intent. Any remarkable natural happening in which no human will is employed cannot be regarded as evil.
The most difficult task for anyone wandering through a foreign land with the hope of gaining some insight into it is the profound need to come to terms with the lives and thoughts of strangers.
Everywhere I look, I see something holy.
It's a moral question about whether we have the right to exterminate species.
And gentle winds and waters near, make music to the lonely ear.
I love New York on summer afternoons when everyone's away. There's something very sensuous about it - overripe, as if all sorts of funny fruits were going to fall into your hands.
What freezings I have felt, what dark days seen,_x000D_ _x000D_ What old December's bareness everywhere!
Calvin: Today for show and tell, I've brought a tiny miracle of nature: a single snowflake! I think we might all learn a lesson from how this utterly unique and exquisite crystal turns into an ordinary, boring molecule of water just like every other one when you bring it into the classroom. And now, while the analogy sinks in, I will be leaving you drips and going outside.
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