A man either lives life as it happens to him, meets it head-on and licks it, or he turns his back on it and starts to wither away.
Gene RoddenberryRead
The strength of a civilization is not measured by its ability to fight wars, but rather by its ability to prevent them.
Interpretation
A civilization's true strength lies in its capability to maintain peace rather than engage in conflict.
This quote by Gene Roddenberry suggests that the worth of a society should not be determined merely by its military prowess or ability to engage in warfare, but rather by its capacity to foster peace and prevent conflicts. It emphasizes the importance of diplomacy, understanding, and proactive measures in maintaining societal stability and harmony.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
A man either lives life as it happens to him, meets it head-on and licks it, or he turns his back on it and starts to wither away.
'Star Trek' episodes always insisted that humanity is on its bumpy way to what will be a glorious future in the 23rd century, in which we will have left most of our old selfishness - and old hatreds and prejudices - far behind us.
The network told me to get rid of Number One, the woman first lieutenant, and also get rid of 'that Martian fellow'... meaning, of course, Spock. I knew I couldn't keep both, so I gave the stoicism of the female officer to Spock, and married the actress who played Number One. Thank God it wasn't the other way around. I mean Leonard's cute, but...
For me science fiction is a way of thinking, a way of logic that bypasses a lot of nonsense. It allows people to look directly at important subjects.
Star Trek says that it has not all happened, it has not all been discovered, that tomorrow can be as challenging and adventurous as any time man has ever lived.
I believe in humanity. We are an incredible species. We're still just a child creature, we're still being nasty to each other. And all children go through those phases. We're growing up, we're moving into adolescence now. When we grow up - man, we're going to be something!
Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us.
Many people in their teens wonder about these big questions - what's the meaning of life, what are we doing here - then somewhere in their 20s, they seem to say, 'I'll just get married. I'll just have kids. I'll get back to that later.' But they never do. For me, it kept boiling.
Obviously you have to make a profit to put out a newspaper. I'm not an idiot. But when the margins are in excess of 25 per cent you're talking about greed.
In your reaction to an imagined attack on your country or an insult to its government, you draw closer to the herd for protection, you conform in word and deed, and you insist vehemently that everybody else shall think, speak, and act together. And you fix your adoring gaze upon the State, with a truly filial look, as upon the Father of the flock.
What is called generosity is usually only the vanity of giving; we enjoy the vanity more than the thing given.
Although there has always been a hermeneutic problem in Christianity, the hermeneutic question today seems to us a new one.
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