Don't take shadows too seriously. Reality is your only safety. Continue to reject illusion.
Wole SoyinkaRead
Trading and religion have always been aligned together in the history of the world, and especially on the African continent.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the historical intertwining of trade and religious practices, particularly in Africa.
Wole Soyinka highlights the long-standing relationship between trading and religious beliefs, indicating that throughout history, these two spheres have influenced each other significantly. On the African continent, this relationship could be seen in how trade networks facilitated the spread of religious ideas, and vice versa, shaping the cultural and spiritual landscapes of societies.
In practice
In a discussion about the cultural practices of African communities, this quote illustrates the role of trade in shaping their spiritual lives.
Don't take shadows too seriously. Reality is your only safety. Continue to reject illusion.
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I have a kind of magnetic attraction to situations of violence.
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Sustainability is a seemingly laudable goal - it tells us we need to live within our means, whether economic, ecological, or political - but it's insufficient for uncertain times. How can we live within our means when those very means can change, swiftly and unexpectedly, beneath us?
Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.
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The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.
Virtue is its own reward, and brings with it the truest and highest pleasure; but if we cultivate it only for pleasure's sake, we are selfish, not religious, and will never gain the pleasure, because we can never have the virtue.
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