Some people tried to hurt us to protect themselves, their family and communities...This was one of the consequences of civil war. People stopped trusting each other, and every stranger became an enemy. Even people who knew you became extremely careful about how they related or spoke to you.
Interpretation
In conflict, trust erodes and relationships fracture as people prioritize their own safety over connection.
Ishmael Beah's quote reflects the devastating effects of civil war on human relationships and trust. In times of conflict, individuals may resort to harmful actions to protect themselves and their loved ones, leading to a breakdown of community bonds and an atmosphere of distrust. The idea that every stranger is viewed as a potential enemy illustrates how fear can dismantle the very fabric of social connections, transforming known relationships into cautious interactions filled with suspicion.
In practice
This quote can be referenced in discussions about the psychological impact of war on communities.
How many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety?" he asked. He waited a few minutes, but the three of us didn't say anything. He continued: "Every time people come at us with the intention of killing us, I close my eyes and wait for death. Even though I am still alive, I feel like each time I accept death, part of me dies. Very soon I will completely die and all that will be left is my empty body walking with you. It will be quieter than I am.
...children have the resilience to outlive their sufferings, if given a chance.
When I was young, my father used to say, ‘If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen. If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person, he or she will die.’ I thought about these words during my journey, and they kept me moving even when I didn’t know where I was going. Those words became the vehicle that drove my spirit forward and made it stay alive.
This is one of the consequences of the civil war. People stop trusting each other, and every stranger becomes an enemy.
It was when I realised I had a new nationality: I was in exile. I am an adulterous resident: when I am in one city, I am dreaming of the other. I am an exile; citizen of the country of longing.
Language serves not only to express thought but to make possible thoughts which could not exist without it.
I hope for the day when everyone can speak again of God without embarrassment.
The elimination of force at all costs is Utopian and the new movement which has arisen in the country and of whose dawn we have given a warning is inspired by the ideals which Guru Gobind Singh and Shivaji, Kamal Pasha and Reza Khan, Washington and Garibaldi, Lafayette and Lenin preached.
The testimony of scripture is so plain that to add anything were superfluous, were it not that the world is almost now come to that blindness, that whatsoever pleases not the princes and the multitude, the same is rejected as doctrine newly forged, and is condemned for heresy.
May I not seem to have lived in vain.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.