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A dinner! How horrible! I am to be made the pretext for killing all those wretched animals and birds, and fish! Thank you for nothing. Now if it were to be a fast instead of a feast; say a solemn three days' abstention from corpses in my honour, I could at least pretend to believe that it was disinterested. Blood sacrifices are not in my line
George Bernard Shaw
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote critiques the ethics of dining on animals, highlighting a discomfort with the concept of celebrating by consuming life.

George Bernard Shaw's quote expresses a deep moral objection to the practice of feasting while being aware of the suffering and death it entails. It conveys a desire for a respectful recognition of life, suggesting that a feast built on the blood of animals is not worth celebrating, and calling for a more compassionate alternative like abstaining from such practices in favor of honoring life instead.

Themes

EthicsVeganismCompassionFeastAbstinenceAnimal Rights

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a speech advocating for animal rights and ethical eating.

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