I don’t want to be told when I wake up, terrified by a dream of total annihilation, because of the H-bomb exploding, that people felt that way about the cross-bow. It isn’t true. There is something new in the world. And I don’t want to hear, when I’ve had an encounter with some mogul in the film industry, who wields the kind of power over men’s minds that no emperor ever did, and I come back feeling trampled on all over, that Lesbia felt like that after an encounter with her wine-merchant. And I don’t want to be told when I suddenly have a vision (though God knows it’s hard enough to come by) of a life that isn’t full of hatred and fear and envy and competition every minute of the night and the day that this is simply the old dream of the golden age brought up to date … . Doris Lessing
About This Quote

Some people just want to hear that they are special and don't want to hear about the struggles of others. To them, the gold standard is the way things used to be. They also don't want to hear that there is something new in the world. For example, the world has changed because of science and technology.

We have new ways of communicating with one another and new ways of living. People are no longer limited by their physical limitations. If someone comes along saying that science or technology ruins everything, then they are likely to dismiss what you say as simply a lie to make themselves look good.

If someone comes up with a new idea or way of doing things, they are likely to dismiss it as old-fashioned thinking. The third point is an odd one, but it shows how some people can be so caught up in their own lives that they can't see beyond themselves. They don't want to hear about the struggles of others because their life experiences have been so limited that they have no idea what other people go through.

Finally, if you have a vision of a better future, but someone doesn't want to hear it because it sounds too good, then you must realize that they are not willing to do what it takes to live in that dream. They are only interested in making more money so they can hoard countless pieces of paper so they can never have to work again.

Source: The Golden Notebook

Some Similar Quotes
  1. I write a lot of songs about love and I think that’s because to me love seems like this huge complicated thing. But it seems like every once in a while, two people get it figured out, two people get it right. And so I... - Taylor Swift
  2. If I were rain, That joins sky and earth that otherwise never touch, Could I join two hearts as well? - Tite Kubo
  3. Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others. - Brian Tracy
  4. We should love, not fall in love, because everything that falls, gets broken. - Taylor Swift
  5. Life is like a game of chess. To win you have to make a move. Knowing which move to make comes with IN-SIGHTand knowledge, and by learning the lessons that areacculated along the way. We become each and every piece within the game called life! - Allan Rufus
More Quotes By Doris Lessing
  1. Life isn't a book. There's no guarantee of a happy ending.
  2. Pain was good. If I hurt, it meant I wasn't dead.
  3. It's a little hard not to worry when my best friend keeps on dying.
  4. Choose battles that you can win without losing your heart and your soul.
  5. I don’t want any of this. I just want to be what I was before you showed up here and all hell broke loose. I want to be popular and dating the hottest guy in school. Now I’m none of those things, and I’m a...
Related Topics