A man sometimes devotes his life to a desire which he is not sure will ever be fulfilled. Those who laugh at this folly are, after all, no more than mere spectators of life.
Rynosuke AkutagawaRead
17. Butterfly A butterfly fluttered its wings in a wind thick with the smell of seaweed. His dry lips felt the touch of the butterfly for the briefest instant, yet the wisp of wing dust still shone on his lips years later.
Interpretation
A simple moment can leave a lasting impact on our memories.
This quote by Rynosuke Akutagawa reflects on the beauty and transience of experiences in nature. The fleeting encounter with a butterfly symbolizes how a brief moment can resonate within us long after it has passed, highlighting the profound connections we can form with the world around us.
In practice
In a speech about embracing life's small joys, this quote could illustrate how fleeting experiences shape our happiness.
A man sometimes devotes his life to a desire which he is not sure will ever be fulfilled. Those who laugh at this folly are, after all, no more than mere spectators of life.
It is the marriage of the soul with nature that makes the intellect fruitful, and gives birth to imagination
Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky, We fell them down and turn them into paper, That we may record our emptiness.
Unadulterated, unsweetened observations are what the real nature-lover craves. No man can invent incidents and traits as interesting as the reality.
It's beautiful," said Mort softly. "What is it?" THE SUN IS UNDER THE DISC, said Death. "Is it like this every night?" EVERY NIGHT, said Death. NATURE'S LIKE THAT. "Doesn't anyone know?" ME. YOU. THE GODS. GOOD, ISN'T IT? "Gosh!" Death leaned over the saddle and looked down at the kingdoms of the world. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, he said, BUT I COULD MURDER A CURRY.
I choose to listen to the river for a while, thinking river thoughts, before joining the night and the stars.
I have often noticed how primate groups in their entirety enter a similar mood. All of a sudden, all of them are playful, hopping around. Or all of them are grumpy. Or all of them are sleepy and settle down. In such cases, the mood contagion serves the function of synchronizing activities.
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