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Civilisation, the orderly world in which we live, is frail. We are skating on thin ice. There is a fear of a collective disaster. Terrorism, genocide, flu, tsunamis.
Zygmunt Bauman
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Civilization is delicate, and its stability is threatened by various global crises.

Zygmunt Bauman highlights the fragility of civilization, emphasizing that our orderly existence is constantly at risk due to potential disasters such as terrorism, genocide, and natural calamities. The metaphor of skating on thin ice serves to underline the precarious nature of modern society, where an unforeseen event could lead to collective chaos and suffering.

Themes

CivilizationFragilityDisasterSocietyFear

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about global security, one might quote Bauman to emphasize the need for preparedness against collective threats.

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