July 4, 2011

Even the Best Rulers

Rainer Maria Rilke

The tragedy of nations is perhaps this: that even the best rulers use up a piece of their people's future.

Early Journals

5 comments:

  1. How much does this tendency of our leaders to use up a piece of our future based on the problems of power? I wonder. Rilke has such a way with words, in so few words he can illuminate so much. Thanks, Lorenzo.

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  2. A thoughtful, if not melancholy note on this 4th of July eve.

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  3. Need I draw associations between what Rilke says and Greece's current state of affairs? Rilke has this gift for putting in words what we can already see or feel.

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  4. that's an interesting perspective. sort of like mortgaging what could be to create what might be. steven

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"Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night."

~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Go ahead, bloom recklessly!