“Humans! They lived in a world where the grass continued to be green and the sun rose every day and flowers regularly turned into fruit, and what impressed them? Weeping statues. And wine made out of water! A mere quantum-mechanistic tunnel effect, that'd happen anyway if you were prepared to wait zillions of years. As if the turning of sunlight into wine, by means of vines and grapes and time and enzymes, wasn't a thousand times more impressive and happened all the time...”
Quote Analysis
In this quote by Terry Pratchett, the author highlights the irony of human fascination with supernatural phenomena over the natural processes that occur everyday. Pratchett suggests that humans are often impressed by things like weeping statues and wine made from water, when in reality, these occurrences are trivial compared to the complex and wondrous natural processes that happen regularly, such as the transformation of sunlight into wine through the growth of grapes. This quote serves as a commentary on human tendency to overlook the beauty and awe of the natural world in favor of seeking out the miraculous and unexplainable.
The Impressive Nature of the Everyday
In Terry Pratchett's quote, he highlights how humans often overlook the everyday miracles of the natural world in favor of supernatural phenomena. This resonates in today's society where people are easily swayed by sensationalized events and overlook the beauty and complexity of the world around them. It serves as a reminder to appreciate the mundane miracles that happen all around us every day.
Terry Pratchett on the Unimpressive Nature of Miracles
"“Humans! They lived in a world where the grass continued to be green and the sun rose every day and flowers regularly turned into fruit, and what impressed them? Weeping statues. And wine made out of water! A mere quantum-mechanistic tunnel effect, that'd happen anyway if you were prepared to wait zillions of years. As if the turning of sunlight into wine, by means of vines and grapes and time and enzymes, wasn't a thousand times more impressive and happened all the time...” - Terry Pratchett"
Reflection Questions
In this quote from Terry Pratchett, he challenges the idea of what truly impresses humans. Reflect on the following questions:
- What do you think Pratchett is trying to convey about human nature through this quote?
- Do you agree with the idea that humans often overlook the wonders of the natural world in favor of supernatural or miraculous occurrences?
- How can you apply this perspective to your own life and the way you perceive the world around you?
- Can you think of examples in your own life where you may have been more impressed by something seemingly miraculous rather than the everyday wonders that exist all around you?
Similar quotes
“A skeptic once said to me, 'I don't believe the Bible because it has miracles.' I said, 'Name one.' He said, 'Turning water into wine. Do you believe that?' I said, 'Yeah, it happens all the time.' He said, 'What do you mean?' I said, 'Well, rain goes through the grapevine up into the grape, and the grape turns into wine. All Jesus did was speed it up a little bit.”
“A brick could be used for pressing grapes into wine, and a magician could then cover up that wine with a blanket and turn wine into water. ”
“Water be wine,” I said, not thinking and distracted by the surge of magic. “Tears of the heavens, become fruit of the vine.”I felt more than saw Silla and Reese hesitate.But I kept going. “Water be wine. Water be wine. Blood from my body, the power is mine. Water be wine.”With a silent clap of energy, the entire bowl of water transformed into dark wine.”
“Were-Hunters are different from humans. (Ravyn)You mean other than the fact that you live for several hundred years, can turn into animals, time travel, and wave your hand to make freaky stuff happen? (Susan)”
“It happened in pieces, tiny little turning points. I'll never figure out when it all turned, because it wasn't a single moments. It doesn't matter how many times I look back, how many times I try to figure it out. There is no before and after. Just a year of choices.”