Life is a near-death experience.
George CarlinRead
A person of good intelligence and of sensitivity cannot exist in this society very long without having some anger about the inequality - and it's not just a bleeding-heart, knee-jerk, liberal kind of a thing - it is just a normal human reaction to a nonsensical set of values where we have cinnamon flavored dental floss and there are people sleeping in the street.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People with intelligence and sensitivity naturally feel anger towards societal inequalities.
In this quote, George Carlin expresses the frustration that intelligent and sensitive individuals experience when confronted with the stark contrasts in society, particularly the absurdity of consumerism juxtaposed with poverty. He emphasizes that this anger is a normal human reaction to the irrational values that prioritize trivial comforts over addressing serious social issues, such as homelessness. Carlin criticizes the state of societal inequality and challenges the reader to reflect on the unjust prioritization of certain products and comforts in light of human suffering.
Themes
InequalityAngerSocietyHuman ReactionValues
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about social justice, this quote can be used to illustrate the emotional response to inequality.
More from George Carlin
All quotes →Here’s a bumper sticker I’d like to see: “We are the proud parents of a child who’s self-esteem is sufficient that he doesn’t need us promoting his minor scholastic achievements on the back of our car."
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