A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick -- a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart.
Neil GaimanRead
Anyone who believes what a cat tells him deserves all he gets.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote humorously suggests that those who take cats too seriously are foolhardy and will face the consequences.
Neil Gaiman's quote uses humor to convey a truth about the nature of cats and human folly. Cats are known for their aloofness and unpredictability, and the quote implies that believing in their whims or following their lead without skepticism is a recipe for disappointment. It highlights the tendency of pet owners to anthropomorphize their animals and playfully criticizes those who lack discernment.
Themes
CatsHumorBeliefWisdomFoolishness
In practice
Example use cases
In a humorous speech about pet ownership, one might use this quote to lighten the mood.
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As a teenager I wrote to R.A. Lafferty. And he responded, too, with letters that were like R.A. Lafferty short stories, filled with elliptical answers to straight questions and simple answers to complicated ones.
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Nothing’s changed. You’ll go home. You’ll be bored. You’ll be ignored. No one will listen to you, really listen to you. You’re too clever and too quiet for them to understand. They don’t even get your name right.
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I like the stars. It's the illusion of permanence, I think. I mean, they're always flaring up and caving in and going out. But from here, I can pretend...I can pretend that things last. I can pretend that lives last longer than moments. Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend.
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