Quotes from The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuściński
The best-known quotes from The Shadow of the Sun (Heban) by Ryszard Kapuściński — on Africa, colonialism, the diversity of cultures and what it means to be human.
Translation note: Unless a published English translator is named, the wording on this page is an editorial translation from Polish and may differ from the authorised English-language edition.
A selection of the best-known quotes from The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuściński — on Africa, colonialism, the diversity of cultures and what it means to be human.
📖 See also: summary and analysis · the book’s page
Best-known quotes
“A person cannot outlive his own shadow.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“Only with the greatest of simplifications can we say: Africa. In reality, Africa does not exist.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“Nothing builds a bond between people in Africa faster than laughing together.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“People do not go hungry because there is no food in the world. There is plenty of it, an excess. But between those who want to eat and the full warehouses stands a high obstacle: political calculation. Whoever has the guns has the food. Whoever has the food has the power.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“If reason ruled the world, would history even exist?” — The Shadow of the Sun
“History is often the product of thoughtlessness. It is the bastard child of human stupidity, the offspring of blindness, idiocy and madness.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“What is striking is that the same person has different customs in a different place.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“Morning and dusk are the pleasantest hours in Africa. The sun is not yet burning, or no longer stings — it lets you be, it lets you live.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“The European mind acknowledges that it has limits, accepts its own imperfection, is sceptical, doubts, puts question marks. Other cultures do not have this.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“Racism, hatred of others, comes out of colonialism, out of a sense of superiority.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“The bush will teach you to value water more than all the riches of the world.” — The Shadow of the Sun
See also
source: kapuscinski.info