What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
Poverty blights whole cities; spreads horrible pestilences; strikes dead the very souls of all who come within sight, sound, or smell of it
Interpretation
What this quote means
Poverty negatively affects entire communities and dehumanizes those who experience it.
In this quote, George Bernard Shaw illustrates the devastating impact of poverty on society. He suggests that poverty is not just a personal hardship but a widespread affliction that can destroy the fabric of communities, bringing about suffering and despair that are palpable to everyone around it.
Themes
PovertySocietySufferingInequalityDehumanization
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech advocating for social reform, one might use this quote to highlight the urgent need to address poverty in urban areas.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes βMarriage 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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