Don't ask the world to stop moving because you have doubts.
Alfred BesterRead
This was a Golden Age, a time of high adventure, rich living and hard dying... but nobody thought so. This was a future of fortune and theft, pillage and rapine, culture and vice... but nobody admitted it. This was an age of extremes, a fascinating century of freaks... but nobody loved it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the paradoxical nature of a golden age, where greatness and troubles coexist but are often unacknowledged.
Alfred Bester's quote presents a complex view of a period often celebrated as a 'Golden Age.' He emphasizes the contradictions inherent in such times, where rich experiences and adventures exist alongside issues like theft and moral decay. Despite these extremes, the overarching sentiment is one of denial, as people fail to recognize the value or the challenges of their era, suggesting a tendency to overlook both the good and the bad.
Themes
Golden AgeExtremesAdventureCultureDenial
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about the nature of progress and the importance of recognizing both achievements and challenges in society.
More from Alfred Bester
All quotes →"There's got to be more to life than just living," Foyle said to the robot. "Then find it for yourself, sir. Don't ask the world to stop moving because you have doubts." "Why can't we all move forward together?" "Because you're all different. You're not lemmings. Some must lead, and hope that the rest will follow." "Who leads?" "The men who must... driven men, compelled men." "Freak men." "You're all freaks, sir. But you always have been freaks. Life is a freak. That's its hope and glory."
Alfred BesterRead
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