And I can imagine Farmer saying he doesn't care if no one else is willing to follow their example. He's still going to make these hikes, he'd insist, because if you say that seven hours is too long to walk for two families of patients, you're saying that their lives matter less than some others', and the idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that's wrong with the world.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of valuing all lives equally and taking action regardless of others' willingness to follow.
In this quote, Tracy Kidder illustrates the intrinsic value of every life by highlighting the determination of a character named Farmer, who believes in making sacrifices for others. It conveys a profound moral stance against the notion that some lives are less valuable, asserting that such thinking contributes to the fundamental issues facing society. The quote serves as a call to action, urging individuals to stand up for what is right, even if they are alone in their efforts.
In practice
During a community meeting about healthcare access, this quote can inspire discussions on the importance of equitable treatment for all individuals.
Many people find it easy to imagine unseen webs of malevolent conspiracy in the world, and they are not always wrong. But there is also an innocence that conspires to hold humanity together, and it is made of people who can never fully know the good that they have done.
You need an infinite stretch of time ahead of you to start to think, infinite energy to make the smallest decision. The world is getting denser. The immense number of useless projects is bewildering. Too many things have to be put in to balance up an uncertain scale. You can't disappear anymore. You die in a state of total indecision.
I am dead because I have no desire,_x000D_ I have no desire because I think I possess,_x000D_ I think I possess because I do not try to give;_x000D_ Trying to give, we see that we have nothing;_x000D_ Seeing that we have nothing, we try to give ourselves,_x000D_ Trying to give ourselves, we see that we are nothing,_x000D_ Seeing that we are nothing, we desire to become,_x000D_ Desiring to become, we live.
The early Church was married to poverty, prisons and persecutions. Today, the church is married to prosperity, personality, and popularity.
Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.
My real self wanders elsewhere, far away, wanders on and on invisibly and has nothing to do with my life.
No one who errs unwillingly is evil.
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