It's better to fade away like an old soldier than to burn out. I don't appreciate worship of dead Sid Vicious or of dead James Dean or of dead John Wayne. It's the same thing. Making Sid Vicious a hero, Jim Morrison - it's garbage to me. I worship the people who survive. Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker prefers survivors over heroes who died young or gloriously.
- In plain terms
- I respect people who live on more than those who die young.
- What can you take from it?
- Survival is more admirable than a tragic death.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who do you admire more? The dead or the living?
- Is dying young a heroic act?
Another view
It undervalues the impact of those who die young.
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