To shift the structure of a sentence alters the meaning of that sentence, as definitely and inflexibly as the position of a camera alters the meaning of the object photographed.
Joan DidionRead
Some of us who live in arid parts of the world think about water with a reverence others might find excessive.
Interpretation
This quote reflects how our environment shapes our feelings and perceptions, particularly about essential resources like water.
Joan Didion's quote speaks to the deep appreciation and reverence that people in arid regions have for water, contrasting with those in more water-abundant areas. It suggests that the scarcity of resources can profoundly influence our values and priorities, highlighting the intertwined relationship between our environment and emotional experience.
In practice
Mentioning this quote in a discussion about climate change and its impact on water resources.
To shift the structure of a sentence alters the meaning of that sentence, as definitely and inflexibly as the position of a camera alters the meaning of the object photographed.
The truth is, it's easier for me to write than talk... to express the state I'm in at any time.
Memories are what you no longer want to remember.
It was clear, for example, in 1988 that the political process had already become perilously remote from the electorate it was meant to represent.
I mean maybe I was holding all the aces, but what was the game?
Do not whine... Do not complain. Work harder. Spend more time alone.
The car has become an article of dress without which we feel uncertain, unclad, and incomplete in the urban compound.
It has often occurred to me that a seeker after truth has to be silent.
When you hear someone criticize a policy on the other side, that's fine. But when you start hearing motive-mongering and demonization, stand up to it just as you would if it were something that was racist or sexist. If we avoid the demonization, disagreements can be positive.
The stool of repentance and the foot of the cross are the favorite positions of instructed Christians.
In the long run, the people are our only appeal. The only ones who can free us are ourselves.
If you want to end terrorism, you have to stop being terrorists
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