Chinua Achebe - No Longer at Ease (1960)

12 Sourced Quotes

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The impatient idealist says: 'Give me a place to stand and I shall move the earth.' But such a place does not exist. We all have to stand on the earth itself and go with her at her pace.

Chinua Achebe
A man who lived on the banks of the Niger should not wash his hands with spittle.

Chinua Achebe
You cannot plant greatness as you plant yams or maize. Who ever planted an iroko tree — the greatest tree in the forest? You may collect all the iroko seeds in the world, open the soil and put them there. It will be in vain. The great tree chooses where to grow and we find it there, so it is with the greatness in men.

Chinua Achebe
Real tragedy is never resolved. It goes on hopelessly forever. Conventional tragedy is too easy. The hero dies and we feel a purging of the emotions. A real tragedy takes place in a corner, in an untidy spot, to quote W. H. Auden.

Chinua Achebe
A man to whom you do a favor will not understand if you say nothing, make no noise, just walk away. You may cause more trouble by refusing a bribe than by accepting it.

Chinua Achebe
When there is a big tree small ones climb on its back to reach the sun.

Chinua Achebe
When a new saying gets to the land of empty men, they lose their heads over it.

Chinua Achebe
We do not seek to hurt any man, but if any man seeks to hurt us may he break his neck.

Chinua Achebe
I am against people reaping where they have not sown. But we have a saying that if you want to eat a toad you should look for a fat and juicy one.

Chinua Achebe
Dancing is very important nowadays. No girl will look at you if you can't dance.

Chinua Achebe
When a coward sees a man he can beat he becomes hungry for a fight.

Chinua Achebe
A kinsman in trouble had to be saved, not blamed; anger against a brother was felt in the flesh, not in the bone.

Chinua Achebe