Nossa maior tragédia é não saber o que fazer com a vida.
During the opening lecture of the course Literature and power. Lights and shadows, in the University Carlos III in Madrid. As quoted by Marco Aurélio Weissheimer in the article Saramago prega retorno à filosofia para salvar democracia, na Agência Carta Maior. (January 19th, 2004)
Nossa maior tragédia é não saber o que fazer com a vida.
Na palestra de abertura do curso "Literatura e poder. Luzes e sombras", na Universidade Carlos III, em Madri, em 19 de janeiro de 2004, conforme citado por Marco Aurélio Weissheimer, no artigo http://www.cartamaior.com.br/templates/materiaMostrar.cfm?materia_id=1626 "Saramago prega retorno à filosofia para salvar democracia", na Agência Carta Maior.
“We are citizens of the world. The tragedy of our times is that we do not know this.”
“the biggest tragedy of life is the utter impossibility to change what you have done”
1960s, Keep Moving From This Mountain (1965)
Context: Each of us lives in two realms, the "within" and the "without." The within of our lives is somehow found in the realm of ends, the without in the realm of means. The within of our [lives], the bottom — that realm of spiritual ends expressed in art, literature, morals, and religion for which at best we live. The without of our lives is that realm of instrumentalities, techniques, mechanisms by which we live. Now the great temptation of life and the great tragedy of life is that so often we allow the without of our lives to absorb the within of our lives. The great tragedy of life is that too often we allow the means by which we live to outdistance the ends for which we live.
“War, no matter what our intentions may be, brings suffering and tragedy.”
Obama raises human rights in Vietnam, calls for 'peaceful resolution' of South China Sea disputes http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/24/politics/obama-vietnam-south-china-sea/, CNN (24 May 2016)
2016
“The biggest mistake we could ever make in our lives is to think we work for anybody but ourselves.”
