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And don't get hurt,' [Dexter] added. 'There's no one to help you up there. And don't go stirring up a lot of trouble for us. This case isn't ripe yet. Until it is, our policy with Mr Big is 'live and let live'.' Bond looked quizzically at Captain Dexter In my job,' he said, 'when I come up against a man like this one, I have another motto. It's 'live and let die'.
Ian Fleming
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects the contrasting approaches to danger and conflict, highlighting a pragmatic versus a more aggressive mentality.

In this exchange, Captain Dexter advises a cautious approach to dealing with a dangerous adversary, emphasizing patience and avoidance of unnecessary conflict. In contrast, Bond expresses a more aggressive philosophy, suggesting that when faced with severe threats, one must take decisive action, even to the point of lethal consequences. This illustrates differing perspectives on handling conflict and the moral implications involved.

Themes

ConflictCourageDangerPhilosophyAction

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about strategy for dealing with conflict, one could quote this to illustrate differing approaches to risk.

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If you interrupt the writing of fast narrative with too much introspection and self-criticism, you will be lucky if you write 500 words a day and you will be disgusted with them into the bargain. By following my formula, you write 2,000 words a day and you aren’t disgusted with them until the book is finished, which will be in about six weeks.
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