Some people tried to hurt us to protect themselves, their family and communities...This was one of the consequences of civil war. People stopped trusting each other, and every stranger became an enemy. Even people who knew you became extremely careful about how they related or spoke to you.
Interpretation
In conflict, trust erodes and relationships fracture as people prioritize their own safety over connection.
Ishmael Beah's quote reflects the devastating effects of civil war on human relationships and trust. In times of conflict, individuals may resort to harmful actions to protect themselves and their loved ones, leading to a breakdown of community bonds and an atmosphere of distrust. The idea that every stranger is viewed as a potential enemy illustrates how fear can dismantle the very fabric of social connections, transforming known relationships into cautious interactions filled with suspicion.
In practice
This quote can be referenced in discussions about the psychological impact of war on communities.
How many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety?" he asked. He waited a few minutes, but the three of us didn't say anything. He continued: "Every time people come at us with the intention of killing us, I close my eyes and wait for death. Even though I am still alive, I feel like each time I accept death, part of me dies. Very soon I will completely die and all that will be left is my empty body walking with you. It will be quieter than I am.
...children have the resilience to outlive their sufferings, if given a chance.
When I was young, my father used to say, ‘If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen. If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person, he or she will die.’ I thought about these words during my journey, and they kept me moving even when I didn’t know where I was going. Those words became the vehicle that drove my spirit forward and made it stay alive.
This is one of the consequences of the civil war. People stop trusting each other, and every stranger becomes an enemy.
All human societies go through fads in which they temporarily either adopt practices of little use or else abandon practices of considerable use.
I have discovered that for me - now, maybe it doesn't work for everybody - for me, it is much more effective to arrive at any situation as a man from Mars than to try to fit in.
It is hard to prevent oneself from believing what one so keenly desires.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
In order for sensation to accede to the objectivity of things, it must itself be changed into a thing. The agent of change is language: the sensations are turned into verbal objects.
Unhappiness. There are all kinds of unhappy people in the world. I suppose it would be no exaggeration to say that the world is composed entirely of unhappy people. But those people can fight their unhappiness with society fairly and squarly, and society for its part easily understands and sympathizes with such struggles. My unhappiness stemmed entirely from my own vices, and I had no way of fighting anybody.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.