In a public dialogue with Salman in London he [Edward Said] had once described the Palestinian plight as one where his people, expelled and dispossessed by Jewish victors, were in the unique historical position of being 'the victims of the victims': there was something quasi-Christian, I thought, in the apparent humility of that statement.
The worst days are when you feel foggy in the head - chemo-brain they call it. It's awful because you feel boring. As well as bored. And stupid. And resigned.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the struggle of feeling cognitively impaired and the emotional toll it takes on one's sense of self.
Christopher Hitchens' quote reflects the profound impact that mental fog can have, particularly in the context of illness. 'Chemo-brain' encapsulates not only the cognitive challenges faced by individuals undergoing chemotherapy but also the accompanying feelings of inadequacy and resignation. The mention of feeling boring and stupid underscores the frustration and loss of identity that can accompany such experiences, reminding us of the psychological battles that often accompany physical ailments.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a support group discussion about the mental impacts of chemotherapy.
More from Christopher Hitchens
All quotes βWhat can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.
Never ask while you are doing it if what you are doing is fun. Don't introduce even your most reliably witty acquaintance as someone who will set the table on a roar.
[E]xceptional claims demand exceptional evidence.
Let me tell you something: for hundreds of thousands of years, this kind of discussion would have been impossible to have, or those like us would have been having it at the risk of our lives. Religion now comes to us in this smiley-face, ingratiating way β because itβs had to give so much more ground and because we know so much more. But youβve got no right to forget the way it behaved when it was strong, and when it really did believe that it had God on its side.
I boldly assert, in fact I think I know, that a lot of friendships and connections absolutely depend upon a sort of shared language, or slang. Not necessarily designed to exclude others, this can establish a certain comity and, even after a long absence, re-establish it in a second.
Similar quotes
Interviewer: What would you say to a woman in this country who assumes she is no longer oppressed, who believes women's liberation has been achieved? el Saadawi: Well I would think she is blind. Like many people who are blind to gender problems, to class problems, to international problems. She's blind to what's happening to her.
Simple idea with powerful consequences: everyone who intersects your life knows something you don't.
My business skills have come from being guided by my inner self - my intuition.
Speculation is a parasite feeding upon values, creating none.
Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one's ability to persuade.
We often despise what is most useful to us.