If one harbours anywhere in one's mind a nationalistic loyalty or hatred, certain facts, although in a sense known to be true, are inadmissible.
George OrwellRead
You were the dead; theirs was the future.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the idea of legacy and the future that belongs to those who are yet to come.
George Orwell's quote emphasizes the divide between the past and the future, suggesting that those who have passed away ('the dead') are no longer a part of the narrative, while the living hold the potential to shape what is to come. It highlights the importance of recognizing our mortality while also understanding that the future is a canvas for those yet to live and make their mark on the world.
Themes
FutureLegacyMortalityTransienceLife
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech at a memorial service, someone might use this quote to inspire the audience to consider how they will contribute to the future.
More from George Orwell
All quotes βThe creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
George OrwellRead
Political writing in our time consists almost entirely of prefabricated phrases bolted together like the pieces of a child's Meccano set. It is the unavoidable result of self-censorship. To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox.
George OrwellRead
Not to expose your true feelings to an adult seems to be instinctive from the age of seven or eight onwards.
George OrwellRead
As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents.
George OrwellRead
It is fatal to look hungry. It makes people want to kick you.
George OrwellRead
Similar quotes
Karma means your have to live with the consequences of the actions you have taken in the past. Whatever you put out is coming back.
Deepak ChopraRead
And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.
Antoine De Saint-ExuperyRead
We see the world, not as it is, but as we are -- or, as we are conditioned to see it. When we open our mouths to describe what we see, we in effect describe ourselves, our perceptions, our paradigms.
Stephen CoveyRead
What is madness but nobility of soul at odds with circumstance?
Theodore RoethkeRead
There are some kinds of Christianity that insist you have to believe literally in doctrine. The Gnostic gospels open out the complexity and multiplicity of approaches to this. If you think the story of the virgin birth is mistranslated, for instance, it doesn't mean you have to throw out the whole thing.
Elaine PagelsRead
If you want your own way, God will let you have it. Hell is the enjoyment of one's own way forever.
Dorothy L. SayersRead