Don't take shadows too seriously. Reality is your only safety. Continue to reject illusion.
Wole SoyinkaRead
Rwanda, which is one of the younger independent states in Africa, must be regarded as a model of how great human trauma can be transformed to commence true reconstruction of people. Human trauma can lead to stunted growth and mass withdrawal.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the potential for transformation and growth following significant trauma.
Wole Soyinka highlights Rwanda's journey after severe human trauma, suggesting that despite the daunting effects of such experiences, it is possible for a society to rebuild and reconstruct itself into a positive example for others. The narrative shifts from despair and stagnation to hope and growth, illustrating the resilience of humanity in the face of adversity.
Themes
RwandaTraumaTransformationReconstructionResilienceGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about overcoming adversity, one might reference this quote to inspire hope.
More from Wole Soyinka
All quotes →Trading and religion have always been aligned together in the history of the world, and especially on the African continent.
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A war, with its attendant human suffering, must, when that evil is unavoidable, be made to fragment more than buildings: It must shatter the foundations of thought and re-create. Only in this way does every individual share in the cataclysm and understand the purpose of sacrifice.
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I have a kind of magnetic attraction to situations of violence.
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Art is solace; art is vision, and when I pick up a literary work, I am a consumer of literature for its own sake.
Wole SoyinkaRead
I'm an Afro-realist. I take what comes, and I do my best to affect what is unacceptable in society.
Wole SoyinkaRead
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