And when the war's over, someday, some year, the books can…
““And when the war's over, someday, some year, the books can be written again, the people will be called in, one by one, to recite what they know and we'll set it up in type until another Dark Age, when we might have to do the whole damn thing over again. But that's the wonderful thing about man; he never gets so discouraged or disgusted that he gives up doing it all over again, because he knows very well it is important and worth doing.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Humanity repeatedly rebuilds knowledge despite setbacks, driven by curiosity and purpose.
In simple terms: People keep rebuilding knowledge after loss.
Value perseverance in preserving knowledge.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- education reform
- archival work
- community rebuilding
- scientific research
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we continue rebuilding after failures?
- What motivates societies to preserve knowledge?
Rebuilding can be resource‑intensive and slow.