Another world Quote by Orson Scott Card
““The Nordic language recognizes four orders of foreignness. The first is the otherlander, or utlänning, the stranger that we recognize as being a human of our world, but of another city or country. The second is the framling—Demosthenes merely drops the accent from the Nordic främling. This is the stranger that we recognize as human, but of another world. The third is the raman, the stranger that we recognize as human, but of another species. The fourth is the true alien, the varelse, which includes all the animals, for with them no conversation is possible. They live, but we cannot guess what purposes or causes make them act. They might be intelligent, they might be self-aware, but we cannot know it.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, 1985
The quote categorizes foreignness into four levels, from familiar strangers to unknowable alien beings, highlighting limits of understanding.
In simple terms: Four types of strangers, from familiar to unknowable.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the limits of empathy across differences.
Themes
foreignness
empathy
knowledge
limits
Mood
curious
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
speculative
When to use this quote
- cross‑cultural interaction
- science fiction world‑building
- ethical debates
Key Concepts
anthropology
philosophy
xenology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we bridge gaps with true aliens?
- Can we ever fully understand other species?
A Different Perspective
Assumes clear boundaries between categories.
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