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
He walked down the corridor, lined with his soldiers, who looked at him with love, with awe, with trust. Except Bean, who looked at him with anguish. Ender Wiggin was not larger than life, Bean knew. He was exactly life-sized, and so his larger-than-life burden was too much for him. And yet he was bearing it. So far.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote illustrates the weight of leadership and the perception of a leader by their followers.
In this quote, the author examines the complexities of leadership through the character Ender Wiggin, who is viewed by his soldiers with admiration and trust, signifying the expectations placed on leaders. However, the character Bean's perception of Ender reveals that true leadership involves personal struggles and burdens that may not be visible to others, emphasizing that while leaders may seem extraordinary, they are fundamentally human and must often confront overwhelming responsibilities.
Themes
LeadershipBurdenTrustLifeResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech on leadership, you might use this quote to highlight the challenges leaders face.
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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