I began writing when I was still in the British Foreign Service, and it was then understood that even if you wrote about butterfly collecting, you used another name.
John Le CarreRead
There will be no war, but in the pursuit of principle no stone will be left standing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the importance of adhering to principles, even if it leads to destruction.
John Le Carre's quote speaks to the often destructive nature of pursuing one's principles with unwavering commitment. It suggests that while the goal may not be war itself, the relentless pursuit of what one believes to be right can lead to significant upheaval and conflict, leaving no remnant of the status quo untouched in the quest for moral or ethical integrity.
Themes
PrinciplePursuitDestructionConflictIntegrity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about ethics in leadership, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of upholding principles.
More from John Le Carre
All quotes βIn every war zone that I've been in, there has been a reality and then there has been the public perception of why the war was being fought. In every crisis, the issues have been far more complex than the public has been allowed to know.
John Le CarreRead
The cat sat on the mat is not a story. The cat sat on the other catβs mat is a story.
John Le CarreRead
The monsters of our childhood do not fade away, neither are they ever wholly monstrous.
John Le CarreRead
Coming home from very lonely places, all of us go a little mad: whether from great personal success, or just an all-night drive, we are the sole survivors of a world no one else has ever seen.
John Le CarreRead
If I had to put a name to it, I would wish that all my books were entertainments. I think the first thing you've got to do is grab the reader by the ear, and make him sit down and listen. Make him laugh, make him feel. We all want to be entertained at a very high level.
John Le CarreRead
Similar quotes
The man who has perceived God looks upon all types of men as dream motion-picture images, made of the relativities of the light of Cosmic Consciousness and the shadows of delusion.
Paramahansa YoganandaRead
In analysing history do not be too profound, for often the causes are quite superficial.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRead
Fate, then, is a name for facts not yet passed under the fire of thought; for causes which are unpenetrated.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRead
When we say 'Black Lives Matter,' we're not saying that any other life doesn't matter. That has never, ever been our message. Our message has always been from a place of love.
Opal TometiRead
We have a love affair with the idea of the 'natural,' even though we, as a species, are about as unnatural as you can imagine.
George M. ChurchRead
time past and time future what might have been and what has been point to one end, which is always present.
T. S. EliotRead