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Quotes from Parable of the Talents — Octavia Butler

1947–2006 United States

← All quotes by Octavia Butler

12 quotes

Life is getting better, but that won’t stop a war if politicians and business people decide it’s to their advantage to have one.

Parable of the Talents (1998)

If you hear nonsense like that often enough for long enough, you begin to believe it.

Parable of the Talents (1998)

I’m literate, and the idea of leaving children illiterate is criminal.

Parable of the Talents (1998)

Jarrett would be easier to take if he cared half as much about children’s bodies and minds as he pretends to care about their souls.

Parable of the Talents (1998)

“I’m not a demagogue.”
“That’s too bad. That leaves the field to people who are demagogues—to the Jarrets of the world. And there have always been Jarrets. Probably there always will be.”

Parable of the Talents (1998)

How completely, how thoroughly he has stolen my child. I have never even tried to forgive him.

Parable of the Talents (1998)

Consider—
We are born
Not with purpose,
But with potential.

Parable of the Talents (1998)

We give our dead
To the orchards
And the groves.
We give our dead
To life.

Parable of the Talents (1998)

When vision fails
Direction is lost.
When direction is lost
Purpose may be forgotten.
When purpose if forgotten
Emotion rules alone.
When emotion rules alone,
Destruction...destruction.

Parable of the Talents (1998)

Are you Earthseed?
Do you believe?
Belief will not save you.
Only actions
Guided and shaped
By belief and knowledge
Will save you.
Belief
Initiates and guides action—
Or it does nothing.

Parable of the Talents (1998)

Now I have been raped.
It happened twice. Once on Monday, and again yesterday. It is my Christmas gift from Christian America.

Parable of the Talents (1998)

All religions are ultimately cargo cults.
Adherents perform required rituals, follow
specific rules, and expect to be supernaturally
gifted with desired rewards—long life,
honor, wisdom, children, good health, wealth,
victory over opponents, immortality after
death, any desired rewards.

Parable of the Talents (1998)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Octavia Butler (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.