...Writings can be stolen, or changed, or used for evil purposes. But isn't the risk worth taking? The more people who share knowledge, the greater safeguard for it. Isn't there more danger in ignorance than knowledge?
Lloyd AlexanderRead
Perhaps one reason we are fascinated by cats is because such a small animal can contain so much independence, dignity, and freedom of spirit. Unlike the dog, the cat's personality is never bet on a human's. He demands acceptance on his own terms.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Cats exhibit a unique independence and self-respect unlike dogs, demanding acceptance on their own terms.
This quote by Lloyd Alexander highlights the distinct nature of cats as independent beings that maintain their dignity and freedom. Unlike dogs, which are often seen as loyal companions driven by their relationship with humans, cats embody a different kind of spirit, one that values self-acceptance and individuality, captivating our fascination for their autonomy and strength of character.
Themes
CatsIndependenceDignityFreedomPersonalityAcceptance
In practice
Example use cases
During a pet expo, I quoted Alexander to highlight the unique characteristics of cats in comparison to dogs.
More from Lloyd Alexander
All quotes →Long ago I yearned to be a hero without knowing, in truth, what a hero was. Now, perhaps, I understand it a little better. A grower of turnips or a shaper of clay, a Commot farmer or a king--every man is a hero if he strives more for others than for himself alone. Once you told me that the seeking counts more than the finding. So, too, must the striving count more than the gain.
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We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.
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In whatever guise - our own daily nightmares of war, intolerance, inhumanity or the struggles of an Assistant Pig-Keeper against the Lord of Death - the problems are agonizingly familiar. And an openness to compassion, love, and mercy is as essential to us here and now as it is to any inhabitant of an imaginary kingdom.
Lloyd AlexanderRead
Llonio said life was a net for luck; to Hevydd the Smith life was a forge; and to Dwyvach the Weaver-Woman a loom. They spoke truly, for it is all of these. But you,' Taran said, his eyes meeting the potter's, 'you have shown me life is one thing more. It is clay to be shaped, as raw clay on a potter's wheel.
Lloyd AlexanderRead
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