Love consists in leaving the loved one space to be themselves while providing the security within which that self may flourish.
Tony JudtRead
We are not merely historians but also and always citizens.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the dual role of individuals as both historians and active participants in society.
Tony Judt's quote suggests that individuals should not only document and analyze history, but also engage with the present societal issues. It highlights the responsibility of citizens to understand their past while actively contributing to the shaping of their communities and futures.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about the importance of civic engagement in democratic societies.
Love consists in leaving the loved one space to be themselves while providing the security within which that self may flourish.
If active or concerned citizens forfeit politics, they thereby abandon their society to its most mediocre and venal public servants
Obviously a primary liberal conviction is that we should be tolerant of other peoples' convictions. But if we believe in something, we had better find ways to say so convincingly.
Social democracy does not represent an ideal future; it does not even represent the ideal past.
What I am against is false optimism: the notion either that things have to go well, or else that they tend to, or else that the default condition of historical trajectories is characteristically beneficial in the long-run.
I'm not sure I've learned anything new about life; but I've had to think harder about death and what comes after for other people.
Because of the media, the way the world is perceived is as a place where resources and time are running out. We're taught that you have to grab what you can before it's gone. It's almost as if there isn't time for compassion.
Our spirits are corroded by living in an atmosphere of unrelenting contention - an argument culture.
Sometimes the shadow stays next to the Light. Sometimes it disappears into the Light
I write differently from what I speak, I speak differently from what I think, I think differently from the way I ought to think, and so it all proceeds into deepest darkness.
Religion is sort of like a lift in your shoes. If it makes you feel better, fine. Just don't ask me to wear your shoes.
To think that because those who wield power in society wield in the end that of government, therefore it is of no use to attempt to influence the constitution of the government by acting on opinion, is to forget that opinion is itself one of the greatest active social forces. One person with a belief is a social power equal to ninety-nine who have only interests.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.