Socrates told us, "the unexamined life is not worth living." I think he's calling for curiosity, more than knowledge. In every human society at all times and at all levels, the curious are at the leading edge.
Roger EbertRead
How quickly do we grow accustomed to wonders. I am reminded of the Isaac Asimov story Nightfall, about the planet where the stars were visible only once in a thousand years. So awesome was the sight that it drove men mad. We who can see the stars every night glance up casually at the cosmos and then quickly down again, searching for a Dairy Queen.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We often take the extraordinary for granted, becoming indifferent to the wonders around us.
In this quote, Roger Ebert reflects on humanity's tendency to grow accustomed to the extraordinary, using the example of stars that are only visible once every thousand years. He highlights how, despite the beauty of the cosmos that surrounds us every night, we tend to overlook it in our daily lives, focusing instead on mundane pleasures, which serves as a reminder of our capacity for awe and the need to appreciate the wonders around us.
Themes
WonderIndifferenceStarsAppreciationCosmos
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of mindfulness, this quote can remind listeners to appreciate the beauty around them.
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