#ago

Imagine a land where people are afraid of dragons. It is a reasonable fear: dragons possess a number of qualities that make being afraid of them a very commendable response. Things like their terrible size, their ability to spout fire, or to crack boulders into splinters with their massive talons. In fact, the only terrifying quality that dragons do not possess is that of existence. Now, the people of this land know about dragons because their leaders have warned them about them. They tell stories about cruel dragons with razor teeth and fiery breath. They recount legends of dragons hunting by night on silent wings. In short, the leaders make sure that the people believe in all the qualities of dragons, including that key quality of existence. And then they control the people — when they need to — with their fear of dragons. The people pay a dragon-slaying tax … everyone stays indoors after dark to avoid being snatched by swooping claws … and nobody ever strays out of bounds for fear of being eaten well and truly up. Perhaps somebody will wonder if dragons aren’t, after all, fictitious because — despite their size — nobody seems to have actually seen one. And so it is necessary from time to time to provide evidence: a burnt tree or two, a splintered rock, the mysterious absence of a villager. The population is controlled by the dragons in its collective mind. It’s contrived superstition, and it is possible because the people do not know enough about the way the world works to know that dragons do not exist. ↗

— David Whiteland

#dragons #existence #faith #ignorance #superstition

Four years ago in speaking of a Jewish nation one ran the risk of being regarded ridiculous. Today he makes himself ridiculous who denies the existence of a Jewish nation. ↗

— Theodor Herzl

#being #denies #existence #four #himself

I think it's great to see how they've grown up, not just as actors but as people. They're still very much the same kids that I met many years ago. They've grown up and they are funny and wicked and naughty and bright, and I think as actors their work is just getting better and better. They've blossomed. ↗

— David Heyman

#better #blossomed #bright #funny #getting

One often learns more from ten days of agony than from ten years of contentment. ↗

— Harold Coffin

#contentment #days #learns #more #often

I only really started to go to plays and to be interested in drama 20 years ago when as an artist I was already well-rounded. I think I'm more disciplined today. ↗

— Pete Townshend

#already #artist #disciplined #drama #go

Separate and unequal didn't work 100 years ago. It will not work today. ↗

— Jonathan Kozol

#ago #separate #today #unequal #will

I have defended the interests of France at the G8 in Washington; afterwards I was at Chicago to announce the withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan; I have participated in two European summits, so I have fully respected the engagements I made to the French. ↗

— Francois Hollande

#afterwards #announce #chicago #defended #engagements

The best of friends fall out, and so his teeth had done some years ago. ↗

— Thomas Hood

#best #done #fall #friends #had

I was raised in Connecticut. And I honestly wasn't aware that my dad was a celebrity until I moved to Los Angeles a year ago. ↗

— Bryce Dallas Howard

#angeles #aware #celebrity #connecticut #dad

Dragons and bridges are very much something out of fairy tales and fantasy. ↗

— John Howe

#dragons #fairy #fairy tales #fantasy #much