Every island to a child is a treasure island.
P. D. JamesRead
Man is diminished if he lives without knowledge of his past; without hope of a future he becomes a beast.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding our history and having hope for the future are essential for our humanity.
P. D. James highlights the importance of knowledge and hope in the human experience. Without an awareness of our past, we risk losing our sense of identity and purpose, and without hope for the future, we may devolve into a state devoid of reason and compassion, reducing us to mere existence rather than a fulfilling life.
Themes
KnowledgePastFutureHopeIdentityHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech to emphasize the importance of history in shaping our future.
More from P. D. James
All quotes βIf from infancy you treat children as gods, they are liable in adulthood to act as devils.
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I believe that political correctness can be a form of linguistic fascism, and it sends shivers down the spine of my generation who went to war against fascism.
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What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give.
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Open your mind to new experiences, particularly to the study of other Βpeople. Nothing that happens to a writer β however happy, however tragic β is ever wasted.
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It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.
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After such knowledge, what forgiveness? Think now History has many cunning passages, contrived corridors And issues, deceives with whispering ambitions Guides us by vanities.
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