Without a global revolution in the sphere of human consciousness a more humane society will not emerge.
We live in the postmodern world, where everything is possible and almost nothing is certain.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the uncertainties and possibilities of the postmodern era, highlighting a complex reality where beliefs and truths are fluid.
Vaclav Havel's quote captures the essence of the postmodern condition, where traditional structures of meaning and certainty are challenged. In a world characterized by rapid change and diverse perspectives, individuals are faced with endless possibilities, yet this multiplicity comes at the cost of stability and certitude. The statement encourages a reflection on how we navigate a reality that is both liberating and disorienting.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker discussing modern challenges in a sociology class could use this quote to illustrate the complexities of contemporary life.
More from Vaclav Havel
All quotes βOwnership is not a vice, not something to be ashamed of, but rather a commitment, and an instrument by which the general good can be served.
In my opinion, theater shouldn't give advice to citizens.
Sometimes I wonder if suicides aren't in fact sad guardians of the meaning of life.
The exercise of power is determined by thousands of interactions between the world of the powerful and that of the powerless, all the more so because these worlds are never divided by a sharp line: everyone has a small part of himself in both.
Human rights, human freedoms... and human dignity have their deepest roots somewhere outside the perceptible world... while the state is a human creation, human beings are the creation of God.
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When two minds of a high order, interested in kindred subjects, come together, their conversation is chiefly remarkable for the summariness of its allusions and the rapidity of its transitions. Before one of them is half through a sentence the other knows his meaning and replies. ... His mental lungs breathe more deeply, in an atmosphere more broad and vast.
The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must endure; the deeper our hope, the more prone we are to despair; the deeper our love, the more pain its loss will bring: these are a few of the paradoxes we must hold as human beings. If we refuse to hold them in the hopes of living without doubt, despair, and pain, we also find ourselves living without faith, hope, and love.
There are 3 questions that would destroy most of the arguments of the Left. The first is - compared to what? The second is - at what cost? And the third is - what hard evidence do you have?
If you cannot bear these stories then the society is unbearable. Who am I to remove the clothes of this society, which itself is naked. I don't even try to cover it, because it is not my job, that's the job of dressmakers.
Polluted by crimes, and torn by the bitterest remorse, where can I find rest but in death?
The faith of those who live their faith is a serene faith. What you long for will be given you; what you love will be yours for ever. Since it is by giving alms that everything is pure for you, you will also receive that blessing which is promised next by the Lord: the Godhead that no man has been able to see. In the inexpressible joy of this eternal vision, human nature will possess what eye has not seen or ear heard, what man's heart has never conceived.