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If you cannot or will not imagine the results of your…

“If you cannot or will not imagine the results of your actions, there’s no way you can act morally or responsibly. Little kids can’t do it; babies are morally monsters — completely greedy. Their imagination has to be trained into foresight and empathy. [It's the writer's] pleasant duty is to ply…” quote by Ursula K. Le Guin
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““If you cannot or will not imagine the results of your actions, there’s no way you can act morally or responsibly. Little kids can’t do it; babies are morally monsters — completely greedy. Their imagination has to be trained into foresight and empathy. [It's the writer's] pleasant duty is to ply the reader’s imagination with the best and purest nourishment that it can absorb.””

Ursula K. Le Guin

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Moral responsibility requires imagining the consequences of actions; imagination must be cultivated for empathy.

In simple terms: Imagine outcomes to act morally.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate imagination.

Themes

ethics education imagination empathy responsibility

Mood

thoughtful inspirational

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

  • parenting
  • teaching
  • creative writing
  • therapy

Key Concepts

moral development cognitive psychology literature

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can we teach foresight to children?
  • What practices develop empathy?
A Different Perspective

Not everyone can easily imagine future impacts.

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