Either things happen for a reason, or they happen for no reason at all. Either one's life is a thread in a glorious tapestry or humanity is just a hopelessly tangled knot.
Neal ShustermanRead
I mean, it's like we all get our raw materials from our families―but it's up to us whether we build bridges or bombs.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our backgrounds shape us, but how we choose to use that influence is our responsibility.
This quote highlights the profound impact that our families have on our identities and choices. It suggests that while our family dynamics and experiences provide us with foundational materials, it is ultimately our responsibility to decide whether those influences will lead us to create positive connections (bridges) or destructive outcomes (bombs) in our lives and relationships.
Themes
FamilyChoicesInfluenceResponsibilityRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
During a family reunion, I shared this quote to encourage everyone to focus on positive relationships.
More from Neal Shusterman
All quotes →Unwinds didn't go out with a bang-they didn't even go out with a whimper. they went out with the silence of a candle flame pinched between two fingers.
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She smiles at them as they go by and continues to play, making it clear that this furnace of a place, full of planes that cannot fly, is more than it seems. It is a womb of redemption for every Unwind, and fora ll those who fought the Heartland War and lost - which was everybody.
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Words don't hurt you." Which is one of the hugest criminal lies perpetrated by adults against children in this world. Because words hurt more than any physical pain.
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Which is worse, Risa often wondered, to have tens of thousands of babies that no one wanted or to silently make then go away before they were even born
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They say you never know who's the real hero and who's the real coward until you're looking death in the face. I've always been afraid of plenty of things, but fear isn't what makes you a coward. It's how depraved your heart becomes when fear gets pumped through it.
Neal ShustermanRead
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Growing up, I was taught that a man has to defend his family. When the wolf is trying to get in, you gotta stand in the doorway.
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