Quotes by John le Carré that show his keen insight into the human mind
David John Moore Cornwell, better known as author John le Carré worked at the Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) in England and then went on to become a bestselling author of espionage books. In his year career he has written books out of which many have been adapted for screen as theywere both popular and riveting. His writing shows his deep insight into the human mind. Here are some quotes that prove it:
On the dangers of viewing from a distance
“A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.”
On one's true nature
“The more identities a man has, the more they express the person they conceal.”
On the distance of homecoming
“Coming home from very lonely places, all of us go a little mad: whether from great personal success, or just an all-night drive, we are the sole survivors of a world no one else has ever seen.”
On hard to explain actions
“Sometimes we have to do a thing in order to find out the reason for it. Sometimes our actions are questions, not answers.”
On doing your part
“The fact that you can only do a little is no excuse for doing nothing.”
On why chaotic moments need time to unpack
“There are moments which are made up of too much stuff for them to be lived at the time they occur.”
On our personal demons
“The monsters of our childhood do not fade away, neither are they ever wholly monstrous”
On sustaining lies
“By repetition, each lie becomes an irreversible fact upon which other lies are constructed.”
On the world we've built
“Our power knows no limits, yet we cannot find food for a starving child, or a home for a refugee. Our knowledge is without measure and we build the weapons that will destroy us. We live on the edge of ourselves, terrified of the darkness within. We have harmed, corrupted and ruined, we have made mistakes and deceived.”
On the ways to engage ones enemies
“After all, if you make your enemy look like a fool, you lose the justification for engaging him.”
On the true opposite of love
“The opposite of love isn't hate, it's apathy.”
On hope
“When a problem threatens to engulf you, there's nothing like irrelevant detail to keep your head above water.”
On the power of a language
“To possess another language is to possess another soul.”
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