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Don't take shadows too seriously. Reality is your only safety. Continue to reject illusion.
Wole Soyinka
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote advises not to be overly concerned with misconceptions or illusory perceptions, emphasizing the importance of facing reality.

Wole Soyinka's quote suggests that one should not be misled by false appearances or fears, which he refers to as 'shadows'. Instead, he stresses that embracing and accepting reality is essential for personal safety and well-being. The call to 'reject illusion' underscores the necessity of seeing the world as it truly is, rather than getting caught up in misleading notions that can distort our understanding and lead to misplaced fears.

Themes

RealityIllusionSafetyTruthPerception

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about facing fears, this quote can remind us to focus on what is real.

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Trading and religion have always been aligned together in the history of the world, and especially on the African continent.
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A war, with its attendant human suffering, must, when that evil is unavoidable, be made to fragment more than buildings: It must shatter the foundations of thought and re-create. Only in this way does every individual share in the cataclysm and understand the purpose of sacrifice.
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Rwanda, which is one of the younger independent states in Africa, must be regarded as a model of how great human trauma can be transformed to commence true reconstruction of people. Human trauma can lead to stunted growth and mass withdrawal.
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I have a kind of magnetic attraction to situations of violence.
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Art is solace; art is vision, and when I pick up a literary work, I am a consumer of literature for its own sake.
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I'm an Afro-realist. I take what comes, and I do my best to affect what is unacceptable in society.
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