In fact, death seems to have been a rather late invention in evolution. One can go a long way in evolution before encountering an authentic corpse.
George WaldRead
The Vietnamese have a secret weapon. It's their willingness to die beyond our willingness to kill. In effect, they've been saying, You can kill us, but you'll have to kill a lot of us; you may have to kill all of us. And, thank heaven, we are not yet ready to do that.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the resilience and determination of the Vietnamese people in the face of overwhelming odds.
In this quote, George Wald emphasizes the profound tenacity of the Vietnamese during conflict, suggesting that their capacity to endure suffering and sacrifice stands in stark contrast to the willingness of their adversaries to inflict violence. The quote speaks to the deeper moral implications of warfare, illustrating that true strength lies not merely in the ability to cause harm, but in the resolve to withstand it, demonstrating an indomitable spirit even when faced with potential annihilation.
Themes
CourageResilienceSacrificeWarVietnam
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used to inspire discussions about the nature of resilience in the context of historical conflicts.
More from George Wald
All quotes →I have lived much of my life among molecules. They are good company. I tell my students to try to know molecules, so well that when they have some question involving molecules, they can ask themselves, What would I do if I were that molecule? I tell them, Try to feel like a molecule; and if you work hard, who knows? Some day you may get to feel like a big molecule!
George WaldRead
Our challenge is to give what account we can of what becomes of life in the solar system, this corner of the universe that is our home; and, most of all, what becomes of men-all men, of all nations, colors, and creeds. This has become one world, a world for all men. It is only such a world that can now offer us life, and the chance to go on.
George WaldRead
Evolution advances, not by a priori design, but by the selection of what works best out of whatever choices offer. We are the products of editing, rather than of authorship.
George WaldRead
Nuclear weapons offer us nothing but a balance of terror, and a balance of terror is still terror.
George WaldRead
I think if a physician wrote on a death certificate that old age was the cause of death, he'd be thrown out of the union. There is always some final event, some failure of an organ, some last attack of pneumonia, that finishes off a life. No one dies of old age.
George WaldRead
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