Aborted Quote by Arundhati Roy
““The fedayeen attack that had been planned on the army camp was aborted at the last moment by none other than the fedayeen themselves. They took this decision because Abid Ahmed alias Abid Suzuki, the driver of the Maruti Suzuki they were in, was driving really badly. The little car veered sharply to the left, then sharply to the right, as though it was dodging something. But the road was empty and there was nothing to dodge. When Abid Suzuki's companions (none of whom knew how to drive) asked him what the matter was, he said it was the houris who had come to take them all to heaven. They were naked and dancing on the bonnet, distracting him. There's no way to ascertain whether the naked houris were virgins or not. But Abid Suzuki certainly was one.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Discussing a fictional or anecdotal event
A chaotic situation can be rationalized with absurd explanations, highlighting human tendency to create narratives.
In simple terms: People make up stories to explain confusing events.
Key Takeaway
Question the plausibility of explanations.
Themes
storytelling
absurdity
human nature
Mood
critical
skeptical
reflective
Type
literary
anecdotal
satirical
When to use this quote
- military operations
- vehicle accidents
- group decision making
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
mythmaking
conflict narrative
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we accept bizarre explanations?
- How does absurdity affect trust?
A Different Perspective
The story may be exaggerated or fabricated, reducing its reliability.
