I began writing when I was still in the British Foreign Service, and it was then understood that even if you wrote about butterfly collecting, you used another name.
John Le CarreRead
Look... we're getting to be old men, and we've spent our lives looking for the weaknesses in one another's systems. I can see through Eastern values just as you can see through our Western ones. Both of us, I am sure, have experienced ad nauseam the technical satisfactions of this wretched war. But now your own side is going to shoot you. Don't you think it's time to recognise that there is as little worth on your side as there is on mine?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the futility of conflict and the shared weaknesses of opposing sides.
In this quote, John Le Carre addresses the inevitable human tendency to find fault in others, especially in the context of conflict. He points out that after a lifetime of scrutinizing each other's weaknesses, both sides have reached a point where it is crucial to acknowledge the shared futility of their conflict. There is a call to recognize common vulnerabilities and the lack of inherent value in their respective positions, suggesting that perhaps it is time to move beyond enmity and acknowledge shared humanity.
Themes
ConflictHumanityWarValuesFutilityUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about conflict resolution, one might quote this to highlight the need for mutual understanding.
More from John Le Carre
All quotes →In every war zone that I've been in, there has been a reality and then there has been the public perception of why the war was being fought. In every crisis, the issues have been far more complex than the public has been allowed to know.
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The cat sat on the mat is not a story. The cat sat on the other cat’s mat is a story.
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The monsters of our childhood do not fade away, neither are they ever wholly monstrous.
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Coming home from very lonely places, all of us go a little mad: whether from great personal success, or just an all-night drive, we are the sole survivors of a world no one else has ever seen.
John Le CarreRead
If I had to put a name to it, I would wish that all my books were entertainments. I think the first thing you've got to do is grab the reader by the ear, and make him sit down and listen. Make him laugh, make him feel. We all want to be entertained at a very high level.
John Le CarreRead
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