Burning Quote by Robin Hobb
“This, more than anything else, is what I have never understood about your people. You can roll dice, and understand that the whole game may hinge on one turn of a die. You deal out cards, and say that all a man's fortune for the night may turn upon one hand. But a man's whole life, you sniff at, and say, what, this naught of a human, this fisherman, this carpenter, this thief, this cook, why, what can they do in the great wide world? And so you putter and sputter your lives away, like candles burning in a draft.”
About This Quote
Human lives are reduced to trivial chances when people ignore the complexity of individual destinies, treating existence as a gamble or a fleeting game.
In simple terms: Life is more than a roll of dice or a hand of cards.
Key Takeaway
Oversimplifying life neglects its depth.
Themes
meaning
randomness
human value
existentialism
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical observation
social critique
When to use this quote
- career decisions
- political rhetoric
- media portrayals of poverty
Key Concepts
determinism vs chance
human dignity
Practical Applications
- Recognize individual agency beyond statistical odds
- Encourage nuanced narratives about people's lives
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities arise when we view lives as random events?
- How can we balance acknowledging chance with recognizing agency?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may understate systemic factors that shape outcomes.
![“Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three [great teachers] did not tell - they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/john-steinbeck-71_art_teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-t_1738.jpg)
