If one harbours anywhere in one's mind a nationalistic loyalty or hatred, certain facts, although in a sense known to be true, are inadmissible.
George OrwellRead
For a second, two seconds, they had exchanged an equivocal glance, and that was the end of the story. But even that was a memorable event, in the locked loneliness in which one had to live.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A brief, shared moment can have a profound impact in a lonely existence.
This quote by George Orwell highlights the significance of even fleeting connections between individuals. In moments of solitude, the exchange of a glance, although ambiguous, can become a memorable event that breaks through the isolation of one’s life, illustrating the human desire for connection and understanding even amidst loneliness.
Themes
ConnectionLonelinessMomentMemoryHumanInteraction
In practice
Example use cases
This quote resonates during a speech on the importance of small interactions in our daily lives.
More from George Orwell
All quotes →The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
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Political writing in our time consists almost entirely of prefabricated phrases bolted together like the pieces of a child's Meccano set. It is the unavoidable result of self-censorship. To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox.
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Not to expose your true feelings to an adult seems to be instinctive from the age of seven or eight onwards.
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As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents.
George OrwellRead
It is fatal to look hungry. It makes people want to kick you.
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