Ursula K. Le Guin

people dragon deny eaten within

“People who deny the existence of dragons are often eaten by dragons. From within.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

end journey matter

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

sane person live world crazy

“What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

writer care word mean truth freedom

“A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it. Writers know words are their way towards truth and freedom, and so they use them with care, with thought, with fear, with delight. By using words well they strengthen their souls. Story-tellers and poets spend their lives learning that skill and art of using words well. And their words make the souls of their readers stronger, brighter, deeper.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

revolution buy make be spirit

“You cannot buy the revolution. You cannot make the revolution. You can only be the revolution. It is in your spirit, or it is nowhere.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

life possible intolerable uncertainty

“The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty: not knowing what comes next.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

truth matter imagination

“Truth is a matter of the imagination.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

anarchist responsibility choice

“What is an anarchist? One who, choosing, accepts the responsibility of choice.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

society wheel story story-telling

“There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

individual bargain state coinage power issue

“The individual cannot bargain with the State. The State recognizes no coinage but power: and it issues the coins itself.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

civilization opposite war

“If civilization has an opposite, it is war.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

oppose maintain another goal walk road

“To oppose something is to maintain it... You must go somewhere else; you must have another goal; then you walk a different road.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

scientist hide work truth artist

“A scientist can pretend that his work isn't himself, it's merely the impersonal truth. An artist can't hide behind the truth. He can't hide anywhere.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

make thief owner create crime law

“To make a thief, make an owner; to create crime, create laws.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

change freedom life govered twenty like virtue pecularities

"Change is freedom, change is life. It's always easier not to think for oneself. Find a nice safe hierarchy and settle in. Don't make changes, don't risk disapproval, don't upset your syndics. It's always easiest to let yourself be governed. There's a point, around age twenty, when you have to choose whether to be like everybody else the rest of your life, or to make a virtue of your peculiarities. Those who build walls are their own prisoners. I'm going to go fulfil my proper function in the social organism. I'm going to go unbuild walls."

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

build walls prisoner social organism

Those who build walls are their own prisoners. I'm going to go fulfill my proper function in the social organism. I'm going to "unbuild walls."

capitalism grow-or-die ecology limit society myth

"Capitalism’s grow-or-die imperative stands radically at odds with ecology’s imperative of interdependence and limit. The two imperatives can no longer coexist with each other; nor can any society founded on the myth that they can be reconciled hope to survive. Either we will establish an ecological society or society will go under for everyone, irrespective of his or her status."

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

creative adult child survive

"The creative adult is the child who has survived."

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

time aspects arrow river progress cycle chaos

"Time has two aspects. There is the arrow, the running river, without which there is no change, no progress, or direction, or creation. And there is the circle or the cycle, without which there is chaos, meaningless succession of instants, a world without clocks or seasons or promises."

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)

capitalism power unescapable divine right kings

"We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings."

― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)