Nothing is born of nothing, least of all knowledge, modernity, or enlightened thought; progress is made in tiny surges, in successive laps, like an endless relay race. But there are links without which nothing would be passed on, and for that reason, they deserve the gratitude of all who benefited from them. Amin Maalouf
About This Quote

In the quote, the author is indicating that without a connection between ideas and people, knowledge and modernity would not exist. This is true because ideas are passed along from generation to generation through the medium of words. Ideas are directly linked to their users by being passed from person to person in a bid to transmit knowledge.

Source: Oragenes

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More Quotes By Amin Maalouf
  1. Our ancestors derived less from life than we do, but they also expected much less and were less intent on controlling the future. We are of the arrogant generations who believe a lasting happiness was promised to us at birth. Promised? By whom?
  2. Nothing is born of nothing, least of all knowledge, modernity, or enlightened thought; progress is made in tiny surges, in successive laps, like an endless relay race. But there are links without which nothing would be passed on, and for that reason, they deserve the...
  3. Let us thank God for having made us this gift of death, so that life is to have meaning; of night, that day is to have meaning; silence, that speech is to have meaning; illness, that health is to have meaning; war, that peace is...
  4. The past is bound to be fragmentary, bound to be reconstructed, bound to be reinvented. It serves only to collect the truths of today. If our present is the child of the past, our past is the child of the present. And the future will...
  5. Never hesitate to go far away, beyond all seas, all frontiers, all countries, all beliefs.
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