Therefore, men of Polynesia and Boston and China and Mount Fuji and the barrios of the Philippines, do not come to these islands empty-handed, or craven in spirit, or afraid to starve. There is no food here. In these islands there is no certainty. Bring your own food, your own gods, your own flowers and fruits and concepts. For if you come without resources to these islands you will perish... On these harsh terms the islands waited.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The author warns settlers to bring their own resources and beliefs to the islands, as nothing will be provided for them.
- In plain terms
- Bring your own food and ideas when you come to these islands.
- What can you take from it?
- Self-reliance is essential for survival in new and harsh environments.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What do you bring to a new place?
- How do you survive uncertainty?
Another view
This assumes resources can always be brought along.
More from James Michener
Millions upon millions of years ago, when the continents were already formed and the principal features of the earth had been decided, there existed, then as n…
Permalink to quote #24 No man leaves where he is and seeks a distant place unless he is in some respect a failure.
Permalink to quote #26 I feel myself the inheritor of a great background of people. Just who, precisely, they were, I have never known. I might be part Negro, might be part Jew, part…
Permalink to quote #23
Related quotes
'Who's gonna come through some magic door and save you, man? Do you know? I do. No one. You drew all you could draw. Only thing you can draw from now on is a f…
Stephen KingStephen King quote #100 Our fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness.
William BradfordWilliam Bradford quote #4 Mon unique esperance est dans mon desespoir.
Jean RacineJean Racine quote #4