If you have the guts to be yourself, other people'll pay your price.
John UpdikeRead
How can you respect the world when you see it's being run by a bunch of kids turned old?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects skepticism towards the authority of those in power, suggesting they are immature or unqualified.
John Updikeβs quote prompts a reflection on the nature of leadership and authority, implying that the world is governed by individuals who may lack the necessary wisdom and maturity to lead effectively. It critiques the paradox of how society is run by people who, despite advancing in age, may not possess the emotional or intellectual maturity one would expect from their positions.
Themes
RespectWorldLeadersMaturityAuthorityScepticism
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a discussion about the effectiveness of political leaders during a debate.
More from John Updike
All quotes βDost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of. _x000D_ _x000D_ Suspect each moment, for it is a thief, tiptoeing away with more than it brings.
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Museums and bookstores should feel, I think, like vacant lots - places where the demands on us are our own demands, where the spirit can find exercise in unsupervised play.
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But it is just two lovers, holding hands and in a hurry to reach their car, their locked hands a starfish leaping through the dark.
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The reader knows the writer better than he knows himself; but the writer's physical presence is light from a star that has moved on.
John UpdikeRead
To guarantee the individual maximum freedom within a social frame of minimal laws ensures - if not happiness - its hopeful pursuit.
John UpdikeRead
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