I asked her to look at me and after a few moments - (pause) - after a few moments she did, but the eyes just slits, because of the glare I bent over her to get them in the shadow and they opened. (Pause. Low) Let me in.
Samuel BeckettRead
Any fool can turn a blind eye but who knows what the ostrich sees in the sand.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that avoiding reality is easy, but true understanding requires facing difficult truths.
This quote by Samuel Beckett highlights the tendency of people to ignore uncomfortable truths in their lives, likening it to the behavior of an ostrich, which is said to bury its head in the sand when faced with danger. It emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and confronting reality instead of pretending it doesn't exist, as true insight and awareness come from facing the difficult situations that life presents us.
Themes
RealityAwarenessTruthIgnorancePerception
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about facing fears, this quote can serve as a reminder to confront reality rather than ignore it.
More from Samuel Beckett
All quotes βNothing happens. Nobody comes, nobody goes. It's awful.
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I shall state silences more competently than ever a better man spangled the butterflies of vertigo.
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And what I have, what I am, is enough, was always enough for me, and as far as my dear little sweet little future is concerned I have no qualms, I have a good time coming.
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I love order. It's my dream. A world where all would be silent and still, and each thing in its last place, under the last dust.
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We lose our hair, our teeth! Our bloom, our ideals.
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