--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who and of what import were the men whose…" description: "\"Who and of what import were the men whose bones bulk the Great Wall, the thirty million Mao starved, or the thirty million children not yet five who di..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/annie-dillard-509_billions_who-and-of-what-import-were-the-men-whos_892120.jpg" --- # Who and of what import were the men whose bones bulk the… ![“Who and of what import were the men whose bones bulk the Great Wall, the thirty million Mao starved, or the thirty million children not yet five who die each year now? Why, they are the insignificant others, of course; living or dead, they are just some of the plentiful others...And you? To what…” quote by Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/annie-dillard-509_billions_who-and-of-what-import-were-the-men-whos_892120.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/annie-dillard-509_billions_who-and-of-what-import-were-the-men-whos_892120.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/annie-dillard-509_billions_who-and-of-what-import-were-the-men-whos_892120.jpg) > “Who and of what import were the men whose bones bulk the Great Wall, the thirty million Mao starved, or the thirty million children not yet five who die each year now? Why, they are the insignificant others, of course; living or dead, they are just some of the plentiful others...And you? To what end were we billions of oddballs born?” [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The countless lives lost—whether through famine, child mortality, or other tragedies—highlight humanity’s insignificance and the mystery of our existence. **In simple terms:** Many lives are lost unnoticed, questioning our purpose. Key Takeaway Contemplate the value of each life and our collective purpose. Themes existence humanity mortality meaning Mood somber reflective Type philosophical social. When to use this quote - humanitarian work - policy planning - education reform - personal reflection Key Concepts philosophy ethics social critique Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do we have toward the “insignificant others”? - How can we find meaning amid widespread suffering? A Different Perspective The quote may overlook individual agency and hope. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Billions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billions/) [Billions Oddballs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billions-oddballs-1158341/) [Bones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bones/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Dies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dies/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Great wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-wall/) [He man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he-man/) [Imports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imports/) [Insignificant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insignificant/) [Mao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mao/) [Mao Starved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mao-starved-1158339/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Bones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-bones-959131/) [Million Mao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/million-mao-1158340/) [Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millions/) [Oddballs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oddballs/) [Plentiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plentiful/) [Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirty/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [Circumstances break men's bones; it has never been shown that they break men's optimism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/circumstances-break-men-s-bones-it-has-never-been-shown-that-they/) [Gilbert K. 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I am aging and eaten and have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/i-am-a-frayed-and-nibbled-survivor-in-a-fallen-world-and-i-am-getting/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [It should surprise no one that the life of the writer - such as it is - is colorless to the point of sensory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/it-should-surprise-no-one-that-the-life-of-the-writer-such-as-it-is/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/it-is-madness-to-wear-ladies-straw-hats-and-velvet-hats-to-church-we/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [The sense impressions of one-celled animals are not edited for the brain. 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