Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
Carl SaganRead
.. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and in triumph they could become the 'Momentary' masters of a 'Fraction' of a 'Dot'
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques the futility of power and glory achieved through violence and war.
Carl Sagan highlights the tragic irony of humanity's pursuit of power, illustrating how countless lives have been lost in conflicts led by powerful figures, only for them to ultimately gain control over a minuscule part of the universe. It serves as a poignant reminder of the transient nature of such victories and the insignificance of human struggles in the vast expanse of time and space.
Themes
PowerWarViolenceFutilityHumanityGloryInsignificance
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the consequences of war, one might use this quote to emphasize the tragic cost of seeking power.
More from Carl Sagan
All quotes →In more than one respect, the exploring of the Solar System and homesteading other worlds constitutes the beginning, much more than the end, of history.
Carl SaganRead
How smart does a chimpanzee have to be before killing him constitutes murder?
Carl SaganRead
The hole in the ozone layer is a kind of skywriting. At first it seemed to spell out our continuing complacency before a witch's brew of deadly perils. But perhaps it really tells of a newfound talent to work together to protect the global environment.
Carl SaganRead
There is a reward structure in science that is very interesting: Our highest honors go to those who disprove the findings of the most revered among us. So Einstein is revered not just because he made so many fundamental contributions to science, but because he found an imperfection in the fundamental contribution of Isaac Newton.
Carl SaganRead
The simplest thought, like the concept of the number one, has an elaborate logical underpinning.
Carl SaganRead
Similar quotes
Life is a progress from want to want, not from enjoyment to enjoyment.
Samuel JohnsonRead
. . . persist in that invocation until the unity of the world is subsumed for you in a single sphere, so that with the eye of your heart you will see naught in the two worlds save the One.
Ibn Ata AllahRead
Hours of solitude, hours of creation, hours of meditation. Solitude and meditation gave me an awareness, a perspective which I have never lost: that of solidarity with the rest of mankind.
Vicente AleixandreRead
Sovereignty is not given, it is taken.
Mustafa Kemal AtaturkRead
not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of . . . but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take.
Thomas JeffersonRead
The church is only the church when it exists for others. To make a start, it should give away all its property to those in need. The clergy must live solely on the free-will offerings of their congregations, or possibly engage in some secular calling. The church must share in the secular problems of ordinary human life, not dominating, but helping and serving. It must tell men of every calling what it means to live in Christ, to exist for others.
Dietrich BonhoefferRead