A man doesn't say I will starve myself to death to keep from starving, or that he'd spend all of his money to save money. Why should he be willing to die for the privilege of living?
Dalton TrumboRead
It will come with a rush and a roar and a shudder. It will come howling and laughing and shrieking and moaning. It will come so fast you can’t help yourself you will stretch out your arms to embrace it. You will feel it before it comes and you will tense yourself for acceptance and the earth which is your eternal bed will tremble at the moment of your union.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the inevitability and intensity of change in life, emphasizing the emotional response it evokes.
In this quote, Dalton Trumbo captures the tumultuous nature of change, portraying it as a powerful force that arrives unexpectedly and demands full engagement. The vivid imagery of rushing, howling, and trembling highlights the mix of excitement and anxiety that accompanies significant transitions, suggesting that embracing change is a crucial part of human experience and growth.
Themes
ChangeEmbraceEmotionLifeTransformation
In practice
Example use cases
Referencing this quote during a discussion about life transitions, such as moving to a new city or starting a new job.
More from Dalton Trumbo
All quotes →The chief internal enemies of any state are not spies nor saboteurs nor the paid agents of foreign governments. They are, on the contrary, those myriads of public officials who betray the trust imposed upon them by the people.
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There are plenty of laws to protect guys' money even in war time but there's nothing on the books says a man's life's his own.
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Dishonesty in government is the business of every citizen. It is not enough to do your own job. There's no particular virtue in that. Democracy isn't a gift. It's a responsibility.
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The blacklist was a time of evil...no one on either side who survived it came through untouched by evil...[Looking] back on this time...it will do no good to search for villains or heroes or saints or devils because there were none; there were only victims.
Dalton TrumboRead
Then there was this freedom the little guys were always getting killed for. Was it freedom from another country? Freedom from work or disease or death? Freedom from your mother-in-law? Please mister give us a bill of sale on this freedom before we go out and get killed. Give us a bill of sale drawn up plainly in advance what we're getting killed for... so we can be sure after we've won your war that we've got the same kind of freedom we bargained for.
Dalton TrumboRead
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