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We don't stop talking about how the world might be better just because we have no chance of making it to Prime Minister. We are all politicians. We are all artists. In an open society everything the mind and hands can achieve is our birthright. It is up to us to claim it.
Stephen Fry
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Everyone has the ability to influence and create change, regardless of their position.

Stephen Fry emphasizes that each individual plays a role in shaping society and has the potential to contribute to improvement, even if they are not in a position of power like a Prime Minister. He argues that creativity and civic engagement are fundamental rights that everyone should embrace, asserting that the capacity to dream of a better world and the responsibility to claim our birthright of change belong to us all.

Themes

ChangeSocietyCreativityResponsibilityCitizen

In practice

Example use cases

During a public speech about civic engagement, one might invoke this quote to inspire action.

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I used many times to touch my own chest and feel, under its asthmatic quiver, the engine of the heart and lungs and blood and feel amazed at what I sensed was the enormity of the power I possessed. Not magical power, but real power. The power simply to go on, the power to endure, that is power enough, but I felt I had also the power to create, to add, to delight, to amaze and to transform.
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Quote by Stephen Fry | QuoteProject