Don't take shadows too seriously. Reality is your only safety. Continue to reject illusion.
Wole SoyinkaRead
I'm an Afro-realist. I take what comes, and I do my best to affect what is unacceptable in society.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of accepting reality while striving for social change.
Wole Soyinka's quote reflects the philosophy of Afro-realism, which advocates for an honest recognition of the challenges faced by society while also encouraging active engagement in addressing and changing unacceptable social conditions. It speaks to the duality of acceptance and proactive action in the pursuit of justice and improvement in the community.
Themes
Afro-RealismSocietyChangeAcceptanceSocial Justice
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on social activism, one might say, 'As Wole Soyinka expressed, I'm an Afro-realist. I take what comes, and I do my best to affect what is unacceptable in society.'
More from Wole Soyinka
All quotes βTrading and religion have always been aligned together in the history of the world, and especially on the African continent.
Wole SoyinkaRead
A war, with its attendant human suffering, must, when that evil is unavoidable, be made to fragment more than buildings: It must shatter the foundations of thought and re-create. Only in this way does every individual share in the cataclysm and understand the purpose of sacrifice.
Wole SoyinkaRead
Rwanda, which is one of the younger independent states in Africa, must be regarded as a model of how great human trauma can be transformed to commence true reconstruction of people. Human trauma can lead to stunted growth and mass withdrawal.
Wole SoyinkaRead
I have a kind of magnetic attraction to situations of violence.
Wole SoyinkaRead
Art is solace; art is vision, and when I pick up a literary work, I am a consumer of literature for its own sake.
Wole SoyinkaRead
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