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
Any decent person who knows what warfare is can never go into battle with a whole heart.
Interpretation
What this quote means
War has a profound impact on the human spirit, making wholehearted participation difficult.
This quote by Orson Scott Card suggests that anyone with a moral understanding of the consequences of warfare cannot engage in it with complete sincerity or enthusiasm. The horrors and complexities of battle weigh heavily on one's conscience, preventing a pure-hearted approach to conflict.
Themes
WarfareMoralityConflictHeartBattle
In practice
Example use cases
Citing this quote in a discussion about the ethical implications of war.
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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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