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A story is not finished, until it has taken the worst turn.

— Friedrich Dürrenmatt The Physicists (1961)

Eine Geschichte ist dann zu Ende gedacht, wenn sie ihre schlimmstmögliche Wendung genommen hat.

Original text (German)

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Notes from Wikiquote

As translated by James Kirkup; also quoted in CurtainUp Reviews, Williamstown Theatre Festival (Summer 2007) by Elyse Sommer

Variants

A story is thought through to the end when it has taken its worst possible turn.

More quotes by Friedrich Dürrenmatt

The only remedy against hunger is reasonable birth control.

Portrait of a Planet (1971)

Resistance at all cost is the most senseless act there is.

Romulus the Great (1956)

A major power can afford a military debacle only when it looks like a political victory.

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We do not consider patriotism desirable if it contradicts civilized behavior.

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For people who have no critical acumen, a state is a mythical entity, for those who think critically it is a rational fiction, created by man in order to facilitate human coexistence.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Friedrich Dürrenmatt (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.