The headlong stream is termed violent But the river bed hemming it in is Termed violent by no one.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Constraints are rarely blamed for the violence of the things they contain.
- In plain terms
- We blame the flow, not the channel that shapes it.
- What can you take from it?
- Question who gets blamed for systemic outcomes.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who benefits from blaming the stream?
- Is the bed passive or active?
Another view
Sometimes the container actively provokes the flow.
More from Bertolt Brecht
The young Alexander conquered India. Was he alone? Caesar beat the Gauls. Did he not even have a cook with him? Philip of Spain wept when his armada Went down.…
Permalink to quote #58 Little changes are the enemies of great changes.
Permalink to quote #60 When evil-doing comes like falling rain, nobody calls out 'stop!' When crimes begin to pile up they become invisible. When sufferings become unendurable the cr…
Permalink to quote #57
Related quotes
The worst of our institutions, in its worst aspect, cannot keep down energy, truthfulness, and earnest struggle for the right.
James McCune SmithJames McCune Smith quote #1 The men and women of the North are slaveholders, those of the South slaveowners. The guilt rests on the North equally with the South.
Susan B. AnthonySusan B. Anthony quote #2 Those who call us terrorists wish to prevent world public opinion from discovering the truth about us and from seeing the justice on our faces. They seek to bi…
Yasser ArafatYasser Arafat quote #2