Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
War: First day in the U.S. Army, the government placed a Bible in my left hand, a bayonet in the other.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the juxtaposition of faith and violence in military service.
Edward Abbey captures the complex nature of being a soldier, suggesting that one must balance deeply held beliefs, often represented by the Bible, with the harsh realities of warfare, symbolized by the bayonet. The quote reflects on the moral and ethical conflicts faced by individuals who serve in the military, emphasizing the duality of their experiences and the choices they must make.
Themes
WarFaithMilitaryConflictCourage
In practice
Example use cases
During a military memorial service, to illustrate the sacrifices made by soldiers.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes βI love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
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If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
Edward AbbeyRead
The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
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I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
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Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Edward AbbeyRead
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