I've been fascinated by Machiavelli since I was very young. I've always felt that he had a bad rap from history, and that he was actually a person quite unlike what we now think of as Machiavellian. He was a republican. He disliked totalitarian government.
Dissensions between Muslim nations run at least as deep, if not deeper, than those nations' resentment of the West.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The conflicts among Muslim nations are profound and may stem from internal issues rather than solely from external influences.
In this quote, Salman Rushdie emphasizes the significance of internal divisions and conflicts within Muslim nations that may be as strong, if not stronger, than their grievances against Western countries. This observation invites reflection on the complexity of national identities and the multifaceted nature of international relations, highlighting that the roots of discord can lie within cultural, political, or historical contexts rather than being merely a reaction to external pressures.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a conference on international relations, one might quote this to highlight the importance of understanding internal conflicts.
More from Salman Rushdie
All quotes →Killing people because you don't like their ideas - it's a bad thing.
faith without doubt is addiction
I am clearly vulnerable to these more passionate and volatile unstable relationships. I am trying to not be so vulnerable.
In India, as elsewhere in our darkening world, religion is the poison in the blood. Where religion intervenes, mere innocence is no excuse. Yet we go on skating around this issue, speaking of religion in the fashionable language of 'respect.' What is there to respect in any of this, or in any of the crimes now being committed almost daily around the world in religion's dreaded name?
Reality is a question of perspective; the further you get from the past, the more concrete and plausible it seems - but as you approach the present, it inevitably seems more and more incredible.
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All advocacy is, at its core, an exercise in empathy.
To get greater than 100% return on a growth step, give up defensiveness. Defensiveness stifles performance, and destroys relationships.
In the enriching of marriage, the big things are the little things. There must be constant appreciation for each other and thoughtful demonstration of gratitude. A couple must encourage and help each other grow. Marriage is a joint quest for the good, the beautiful, and the divine
Like some dogs: kick them once and they never trust you again, no matter how nice you are to them.
In fact, every woman I met seemed disposable and replaceable. I was experiencing seducer's paradox: The better a seducer I became, the less I loved women. Success was no longer defined by getting laid or finding a girlfriend, but by how well I performed.