It is by all odds the loftiest of cities. It even managed to reach the highest point in the sky at the lowest moment of the depression.
E. B. WhiteRead
It's hard to know when to respond to the seductiveness of the world and when to respond to its challenge. If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between the desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the internal conflict between the wish to improve the world and the desire to experience its pleasures.
E. B. White's quote captures the tension between two powerful impulses in life: the seductive allure of worldly pleasures and the challenging call for personal and social improvement. This duality creates a dilemma where one must navigate the competing desires to enjoy life's delights while also striving to make a positive impact. The struggle to balance these desires complicates daily planning and decision-making, revealing the complexity of human existence and intention.
Themes
BalanceDesireWorldImprovementEnjoyment
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational talk about the dualities of life choices.
More from E. B. White
All quotes →It isn't silence you can cut with a knife any more, it's interchange of ideas. Intelligent discussion of practically everything is what is breaking up modern marriage.
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The main thing I try to do is write as clearly as I can. Because I have the greatest respect for the reader, and if he's going to the trouble of reading what I've written -- I'm a slow reader myself and I guess most people are -- why, the least I can do is make it as easy as possible for him to find out what I'm trying to say, trying to get at. I rewrite a good deal to make it clear.
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A good farmer is nothing more nor less than a handy man with a sense of humus.
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A despot doesn't fear eloquent writers preaching freedom- he fears a drunken poet who may crack a joke that will take hold.
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All writing is communication; creative writing is communication through revelation-it is the Self-escaping into the open.
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