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
The monsters of our childhood do not fade away, neither are they ever wholly monstrous.
Interpretation
Our childhood fears and issues persist into adulthood, often shaped by complex realities.
This quote suggests that the fears and challenges we faced in childhood do not simply vanish as we grow older; instead, they evolve and remain a part of us. Additionally, it implies that these 'monsters' may not always take on the form of pure evil, as they often embody complexities rooted in our experiences and perceptions, reminding us that our understanding of fear and danger can change over time.
In practice
Sharing this quote during a discussion about childhood memories and their impact on adult life.
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.
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.
The cat sat on the mat is not a story. The cat sat on the other catβs mat is a story.
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.
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.
We've had enough." He took back the report and jammed it under his arm. "We've had a bellyful, in fact." "And like everyone who's had enough," said Control as Alleline noisily left the room, "he wants more.
It seems that the right of freedom of speech that was enshrined in numerous constitutions is now under attack by religious institutions.
Perhaps one day tired of circling the world I'll return to Argentina and settle in the Andean lakes if not indefinitely then at least for a pause while I shift from one understanding of the world to another.
A lot of jobs don't allow you to be who you are. There is dignity in work only when it is work freely accepted.
In all intellectual debates, both sides tend to be correct in what they affirm, and wrong in what they deny.
If life's journey be endless where is its goal? The answer is, it is everywhere. We are in a palace which has no end, but which we have reached. By exploring it and extending our relationship with it we are ever making it more and more our own.
However, if "free choice" means more than a small selection between pre-established necessities, and if the inclinations and impulses used in work are other than those preshaped by a repressive reality principle, then satisfaction in daily work is only a rare privilege.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.