Life has meaning only if one barters it day by day for something other than itself.
Interpretation
Life gains significance through daily exchanges and experiences that enrich our existence.
This quote by Antoine De Saint-Exupery suggests that the essence of life is not found in mere existence but in the daily interactions and sacrifices we make for greater purposes. It implies that true fulfillment comes from seeking deeper meanings and connections, rather than simply living for oneself.
In practice
During a motivational speech about finding purpose in life, this quote could inspire the audience to seek meaningful experiences.
Grown-ups love figures... When you tell them you've made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies? " Instead they demand "How old is he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make? " Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.
Attitude is a paintbrush. It colors everything!
Water, thou hast no taste, no color, no odor; canst not be defined, art relished while ever mysterious. Not necessary to life, but rather life itself, thou fillest us with a gratification that exceeds the delight of the senses.
In those days, I didn't understand anything. I should have judged her according to her actions, not her words. She perfumed my planet and lit up my life. I should never have run away! I ought to have realized the tenderness underlying her silly pretensions. Flowers are so contadictory! But I was too young to know how to love her.
When a mystery is too overpowering, one dare not disobey.
When the body sinks into death, the essence of man is revealed. Man is a knot, a web, a mesh into which relationships are tied. Only those relationships matter. The body is an old crock that nobody will miss. I have never known a man to think of himself when dying. Never.
Suffering does not befall him who is without attachment to names and forms.
A thousand people drowned in floods in China are news: a solitary child drowned in a pond is tragedy.
The ultimate decision about what is accepted as right and wrong will be made not by individual human wisdom but by the disappearance of the groups that have adhered to the "wrong" beliefs.
The knife of corruption endangered the life of New York City. The scalpel of the law is making us well again.
There is no odor so bad as that which arises from goodness tainted.
I'm always astounded at the way we automatically look at what divides and separates us. We never look at what people have in common.
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