Is it not late? A late time to be living? Are not our…
““Is it not late? A late time to be living? Are not our generations the crucial ones? For we have changed the world. Are not our heightened times the important ones? For we have nuclear bombs. Are we not especially significant because our century is? - our century and its unique Holocaust, its refugee populations, its serial totalitarian exterminations; our century and its antibiotics, silicon chips, men on the moon, and spliced genes? No, we are not and it is not. These times of ours are ordinary times, a slice of life like any other. Who can bear to hear this, or who will consider it?... Take away the bomb threat and what are we? Ordinary beads on a never-ending string. Our time is a routine twist of an improbable yarn...There must be something heroic about our time, something that lifts it above all those other times. Plague? Funny weather? Dire things are happening... Why are we watching the news, reading the news, keeping up with the news? Only to enforce our fancy - probably a necessary lie - that these are crucial times, and we are in on them. Newly revealed, and we are in the know: crazy people, bunches of them. New diseases, shifts in power, floods! Can the news from dynastic Egypt have been any different?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker reflects on the paradox of modern times—technological marvels and catastrophic threats—yet argues that ordinary life persists and there is potential heroism in everyday existence.
In simple terms: Modern era is both extraordinary and ordinary, demanding humility and hope.
Key Takeaway
Recognize ordinary moments amid crisis.
Themes
history
technology
humanity
existentialism
Mood
contemplative
critical
hopeful
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- Everyday life
- global crises
- personal reflection
- media consumption
Key Concepts
Nuclear age
biotech
information overload
heroism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we find meaning in ordinary life?
- What responsibilities arise from our technological power?
A Different Perspective
The claim of heroism may overlook systemic injustices and collective responsibility.