“The scale of the suffering and the scope of the commitment they often numb us into a kind of indifference. Wishing for the end to AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa is like wishing that gravity didn't make things so damn heavy. We can wish it, but what the hell can we do about it?
Well, more than we think. We can't fix every problem — corruption, natural calamities are part of the picture here — but the ones we can we must.”
PENN Address (2004)
Context: The scale of the suffering and the scope of the commitment they often numb us into a kind of indifference. Wishing for the end to AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa is like wishing that gravity didn't make things so damn heavy. We can wish it, but what the hell can we do about it?
Well, more than we think. We can't fix every problem — corruption, natural calamities are part of the picture here — but the ones we can we must. The debt burden, as I say, unfair trade, as I say, sharing our knowledge, the intellectual copyright for lifesaving drugs in a crisis, we can do that. And because we can, we must. Because we can, we must. Amen.
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Bono 172
Irish rock musician, singer of U2 1960Related quotes

“We can change our lives. We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish.”

“We are always more afraid than we wish to be, but we can always be braver than we expect.”
Sorilea
(15 October 1994)
Source: Lord of Chaos

"The Textual Reliability of the New Testament: A Dialogue between Bart Ehrman and Daniel Wallace" (April 4–5, 2008), in The Reliability of the New Testament (2011) edited by Robert Stewart, p. 47

“We live, not as we wish to, but as we can.”
Lady of Andros, fragment 50.

Reflections on Various Subjects (1665–1678), V. On Conversation

“Things we hope not for oftener come to pass than things we wish for. (translated by Thornton)”
Insperata accidunt magis saepe quam que speres.
Act I, scene 3, line 42.
Variant translation: Things which you do not hope happen more frequently than things which you do hope. (translator unknown)
Mostellaria (The Haunted House)

Source: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things

“We all do what we can
So we can do just one more thing
We can all be free”
"Maybe Not"
You Are Free (2003)
Context: We all do what we can
So we can do just one more thing
We can all be free
Maybe not in words
Maybe not with a look
But with your mind.