Solitude lies at the lowest depth of the human condition. Man is the only being who feels himself to be alone and the only one who is searching for the Other.
Octavio PazRead
Changes are inseparable from democracy. To defend democracy is to defend the possibility of change; in turn, changes alone can strengthen democracy.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Democracy thrives on the ability to change and evolve.
Octavio Paz emphasizes the intrinsic connection between democracy and change, suggesting that defending democracy inherently involves supporting the potential for change. Furthermore, he asserts that change itself is vital for the reinforcement and vitality of democratic systems, illustrating that adaptability is fundamental for a thriving democratic society.
Themes
DemocracyChangeDefenseStrengthenEvolution
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about civic engagement, one might mention this quote to highlight the importance of advocating for change within democratic contexts.
More from Octavio Paz
All quotes βBy suppressing differences and peculiarities, by eliminating different civilizations and cultures, progress weakens life and favors death
Octavio PazRead
The North American system only wants to consider the positive aspects of reality. Men and women are subjected from childhood to an inexorable process of adaptation certain principles, contained in brief formulas are endlessly repeated by the Press, the radio, the churches, and the schools, and by those kindly, sinister beings, the North American mothers and wives. A person imprisoned by these schemes is like a plant in a flowerpot too small for it he cannot grow or mature.
Octavio PazRead
Poetry is not a genre in harmony with the modern world; its innermost nature is hostile or indifferent to the dogmas of modern times, progress and the cult of the future.
Octavio PazRead
If we are a metaphor of the universe, the human couple is the metaphor par excellence, the point of intersection of all forces and the seed of all forms. The couple is time recaptured, the return to the time before time.
Octavio PazRead
Man, even man debased by the neocapitalism and pseudosocialism of our time, is a marvelous being because he sometimes speaks. Language is the mark, the sign, not of his fall but of his original innocence. Through the Word we may regain the lost kingdom and recover powers we possessed in the far-distant past.
Octavio PazRead
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If I wanted to change the world, the last thing I would do is write a play.
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The longer it takes to respond to a major development or crisis, the higher the chance of violence being seen as the only answer.
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When faced by any loss, thereβs no point in trying to recover what has been, itβs best to take advantage of the large space that opens up before us and fill it with something new.
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If everyone is a changemaker, there's no way a problem can outrun a solution
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