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All you earnest young men out to save the world. . . please, have a laugh.
Reinhold Niebuhr
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote suggests that while striving to make a difference is noble, it's equally important to maintain a sense of humor and joy.

Reinhold Niebuhr's quote reflects the idea that young individuals with strong ambitions to effect change in the world should not take themselves too seriously. It encourages a balance between earnest efforts for social change and the light-heartedness that comes from laughter, suggesting that humor can act as a vital counterbalance to the seriousness of social responsibility.

Themes

HumorChangeYouthResponsibilityLaughter

In practice

Example use cases

This quote is perfect for a motivational speech aimed at college students passionate about social justice.

More from Reinhold Niebuhr

Religion is so frequently a source of confusion in political life, and so frequently dangerous to democracy, precisely because it introduces absolutes into the realm of relative values.
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The tendency to claim God as an ally for our partisan value and ends is the source of all religious fanaticism.
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The mastery of nature is vainly believed to be an adequate substitute for self mastery.
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Forgiveness is the final form of love.
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God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed.
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God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. This prayer was first printed in a monthly bulletin of the Federal Council of Churches and has become enormously popular. It has been circulated in millions of copies.
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