No great deed, private or public, has ever been undertaken in a bliss of certainty.
Leon WieseltierRead
Here is a humanist proposition for the age of Google: The processing of information is not the highest aim to which the human spirit can aspire, and neither is competitiveness in a global economy. The character of our society cannot be determined by engineers.
Interpretation
Human connection and values surpass mere information processing and competition.
Leon Wieseltier's quote critiques the modern focus on technology and competition, suggesting that the true essence of humanity lies beyond information processing and economic competitiveness. He emphasizes that the moral and ethical character of society cannot solely be dictated by technological advancements or engineering but is rooted in deeper human values and connections.
In practice
This quote could be used in a speech about the importance of ethical considerations in technology development.
No great deed, private or public, has ever been undertaken in a bliss of certainty.
No other technique for the conduct of life attaches the individual so firmly to reality as laying emphasis on work; for his work at least gives him a secure place in a portion of reality, in the human community.
These young people naturally grow up with ideas different from ours, for they are born for times when we shall no longer be here
The very purpose of religion is to control yourself, not to criticize others. Rather, we must criticize ourselves. How much am I doing about my anger? About my attachment, about my hatred, about my pride, my jealousy? These are the things which we must check in daily life.
At the beginning of my career, I visited a Sudanese refugee camp in Uganda and saw a two-year-old girl die before my eyes. The technical term for what this girl experienced, when you are too thin and malnourished for your size, is childhood wasting. And it was, indeed, a waste. A young life - with all its potential - gone forever.
Every man who has power is impelled to abuse it.
It's impossible to be ethnically pure.
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