If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
Neil PeartRead
There's still a lot I'm angry about, a lot of human behaviour that's appalling and despicable, but you choose what you can fight against. I always thought if I could just put something in words perfectly enough, people would get the idea and it would change things.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the frustration with human behavior and highlights the power of words to inspire change.
In this quote, Neil Peart expresses his anger towards certain aspects of human behavior that he finds unacceptable. He emphasizes the importance of choosing one's battles wisely, suggesting that although there are many things worth fighting against, one should focus on the issues that resonate most personally. Peart believes in the transformative power of writing, asserting that if he can articulate his thoughts clearly enough, he can influence others and incite change in society.
Themes
AngerHuman BehaviorChangeWordsFight
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about social issues, one might reference this quote to emphasize the role of communication in driving societal change.
More from Neil Peart
All quotes →The real test of a musician is live performance. It's one thing to spend a long time learning how to play well in the studio, but to do it in front of people is what keeps me coming back to touring.
Neil PeartRead
Performing live in front of an audience is such a matter of will - all of those things you can do just fine in your basement, suddenly you have to do them in front of hundreds or thousands of people, and it becomes a different matter entirely.
Neil PeartRead
It seems to me that's the only way you can have a truly creative aggregate of people is if they're all contributing in different ways.
Neil PeartRead
What I've learned over the years is that the craft of songwriting is trying to take the personal and make it universal - or in the case of telling a story, taking the universal and making it personal.
Neil PeartRead
I've heard the stories. Like, Eric Clapton said he wanted to burn his guitar when he heard Jimi Hendrix play. I never understood that because, when I went and saw a great drummer or heard one, all I wanted to do was practice.
Neil PeartRead
Similar quotes
Trends, like horses, are easier to ride in the direction they are going.
John NaisbittRead
History will have to recordThat the greatest tragedy of this period of social transitionWas not the vitriolic words and the violent actions of the bad peopleBut the appalling silence and indifference of the good.Our generation will have to repent notOnly for the words and actions of the children of darknessBut also for the fears and apathy of thechildren of light.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read
Many of us believed that Black Lives Matter would move this country to not only reckon with white racism but to usher in new laws and practices that would curb vigilantism and law enforcement violence. But, instead, white nationalism was nurtured and began to take root among the American people.
Patrisse CullorsRead
I think it's harder for people than it should be. But as more and more of us become carbon neutral and change the patterns in our lives to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem, we are now beginning to see the changes in policy that are needed.
Al GoreRead
Revolution is a phase, a mood, like spring, and just as spring has its buds and showers, so revolution has its ebullience, its bravery, its hope, and its solidarity. Some of these things pass.
Rebecca SolnitRead
The male clerk with his quill pen and copper-plate handwriting had gone for good. The female short-hand typist took his place. It was a decisive moment in women's emancipation.
A. J. P. TaylorRead