It's easier for the former masters to put aside the masks that hid their humanity than for the former slaves to recognise the faces underneath. Or to trust that this is not a new mask these are wearing.
Nadine GordimerRead
Perhaps the best definition of progress would be the continuing efforts of men and women to narrow the gap between the convenience of the powers that be and the unwritten charter.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Progress is defined by the efforts to bridge the disparity between those in power and the ideals we strive for.
Nadine Gordimer's quote emphasizes that true progress is a collective endeavor by individuals to reduce the divide between the privileges granted by authority and the ethical guidelines set by societal values. It suggests that meaningful advancement occurs when people actively work towards aligning the reality of power with a more just and equitable vision for society.
Themes
ProgressChangeSocietyEffortAuthorityValues
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a speech about social justice and the role of citizens in creating change.
More from Nadine Gordimer
All quotes →The gap between the committed and the indifferent is a Sahara whose faint trails, followed by the mind's eye only, fade out in sand.
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Art defies defeat by its very existence, representing the celebration of life, in spite of all attempts to degrade and destroy it.
Nadine GordimerRead
A truly living human being cannot remain neutral.
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If people would forget about utopia! When rationalism destroyed heaven and decided to set it up here on earth, that most terrible of all goals entered human ambition. It was clear there'd be no end to what people would be made to suffer for it.
Nadine GordimerRead
The caged eagle become a metaphor for all forms of isolation, the ultimate in imprisonment. A zoo is prison.
Nadine GordimerRead
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