And enough for me that when my hand touched your shoulder, you leaned on me; and when you felt me slip away, you called my name.
Orson Scott CardRead
I know, you've been here a year, you think these people are normal. Well, they're not. WE'RE not. I look in the library, I call up books on my desk. Old ones, because they won't let us have anything new, but I've got a pretty good idea what children are, and we're not children. Children can lose sometimes, and nobody cares. Children aren't in armies, they aren't COMMANDERS, they don't rule over forty other kids, it's more than anybody can take and not get crazy.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the complexity of human behavior and the burdens of leadership, suggesting that those in power are often burdened with understanding the weight of their responsibilities.
In this quote, Orson Scott Card emphasizes the difference between children who are seen as innocent and carefree, and those who are thrust into positions of authority, where they must deal with the harsh realities of leadership and its associated responsibilities. The speaker expresses a sense of disillusionment with the idea that the people around him are normal, highlighting the pressures and potential madness that come with leadership, especially when one feels burdened by the expectations placed upon them.
Themes
LeadershipResponsibilityStressInsightDisillusionment
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting, to discuss the challenges faced in leadership roles.
More from Orson Scott Card
All quotes →The world is always a democracy in times of flux, and the man with the best voice will win.
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Never mind that the story had turned out to be lies and foolishness—there was always folks stupid enough to say, Where there's smoke there's fire, when the saying should have been, Where there's scandalous lies there's always malicious believers and spreaders-around, regardless of evidence.
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The lives of all people flow through time, and, regardless of how brutal one moment may be, how filled with grief or pain or fear, time flows through all lives equally.
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You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind.
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I've had your tears with mine, and you've had mine with yours. I think that's more intimate even than a kiss.
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