Margaret-atwood Quote by Margaret Atwood
““The ancestral voices were prophesying war because ancestral voices never shut up, and they hate to be wrong, and war is a sure thing, sooner or later.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Handmaid's Tale, 1985, Margaret Atwood
Ancestral voices constantly warn of war, never silent, and they fear being wrong, making war inevitable.
In simple terms: Ancestors constantly warn war, making it inevitable.
Key Takeaway
Listen to warnings but question fatalism.
Themes
war
history
prophecy
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- historical study
- peacebuilding
Key Concepts
cultural memory
fatalism
conflict cycles
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies break cycles of prophetic war narratives?
- What role does dissent play in preventing conflict?
A Different Perspective
Assuming inevitability can hinder proactive peace efforts.
![“Nuclear, ecological, chemical, economic — our arsenal of Death by Stupidity is impressive for a species as smart as Homo sapiens ["Strange New World," http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/boo... ].” quote by Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/799/jeanette-winterson-166_death_nuclear-ecological-chemical-economic-our_152294.jpg)
