BLIND GENERATION
Every age has its massive moral blind spots. We might not see them, but our children will. May 17, 2004 ー PENN Commencement Address (Philadelphia, USA)
There's a truly great Irish poet, his name is Brendan Kennelly, and he has this epic poem called the Book of Judas, and there's a line in that poem that never leaves my mind, it says: "If you want to serve the age, betray it." What does that mean to betray the age? Well to me betraying the age means exposing its conceits, it's foibles; its phoney moral certitudes. It means telling the secrets of the age and facing harsher truths. May 17, 2004 ー PENN Commencement Address (Philadelphia, USA)
What are the ideas right now worth betraying? What are the lies we tell ourselves now? What are the blind spots of our age? May 17, 2004 ー PENN Commencement Address (Philadelphia, USA)
You’ve got to hand it to Jesus. That is a great one, [the sheep analogy] isn’t it? Because there’s something like: pigs are intelligent, they’re useful farm animals as they wallow in the muck. But sheep! I mean, they’re useful for making jumpers [sweaters], of course, but they really are pretty dumb. The great image of mankind. And they move in packs as well. They all head off in the wrong direction together. 2005 ー Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas
I do think people should be hard on themselves, don’t you think? We’re in a climate of self-love, really. We’re in a climate of self-love and self-loathing. 2005 ー Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas
There's a truly great Irish poet, his name is Brendan Kennelly, and he has this epic poem called the Book of Judas, and there's a line in that poem that never leaves my mind, it says: "If you want to serve the age, betray it." What does that mean to betray the age? Well to me betraying the age means exposing its conceits, it's foibles; its phoney moral certitudes. It means telling the secrets of the age and facing harsher truths. May 17, 2004 ー PENN Commencement Address (Philadelphia, USA)
What are the ideas right now worth betraying? What are the lies we tell ourselves now? What are the blind spots of our age? May 17, 2004 ー PENN Commencement Address (Philadelphia, USA)
You’ve got to hand it to Jesus. That is a great one, [the sheep analogy] isn’t it? Because there’s something like: pigs are intelligent, they’re useful farm animals as they wallow in the muck. But sheep! I mean, they’re useful for making jumpers [sweaters], of course, but they really are pretty dumb. The great image of mankind. And they move in packs as well. They all head off in the wrong direction together. 2005 ー Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas
I do think people should be hard on themselves, don’t you think? We’re in a climate of self-love, really. We’re in a climate of self-love and self-loathing. 2005 ー Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas