“Having had occasion in the past to observe Communist statesmen, I saw with surprise that they were often extremely critical of the reality ensuing from actions of theirs that they saw turn before their eyes into an uncontrollable chain of consequences. If they were really so clear-sighted, you will say, why did they not just quit? Was it out of opportunism? Love of power? Out of fear? Perhaps. But it cannot be ruled out that at least some of them were guided by a sense of responsibility for an act they had helped to set loose in the world and for which they did not want to deny paternity, still cherishing the hope that they would manage to correct it, modify it, give it back meaning. The clearer it became that the hope was illusory, the more clearly emerged the tragedy of their lives.”
Quote by Milan Kundera
Work
The Curtain: An Essay in Seven Parts
Browse quotes and source details for this work. more
Author
You May Also Like
“Only fools saw mistakes as a bad thing—mistakes were experience, no matter how good or bad.”
Source: The Call of Chaos
“Own your mistakes. Even when you’re in the process of screwing up.”
Source: The Bombshell Business Woman: How to Become a Bold, Brave Female Entrepreneur
“Your most precious journey is the journey to your own mistakes and so you can face them!”
“You don't fail when you fall. You fail when you do not realize your contribution to the fall.”
Source: Was immer geschehen ist, ist Gerechtigkeit
