Wang Meng > Quotes

“You know, you take a job to make a living and also to do your duty. But a person should be more than just his trade. A job isn't everything, nor does it last for ever. Human beings should be the masters of the world and their work, and above all, masters of knowledge. Suppose both of us are umbrella repairers, and we each earn eighteen yuan a month. But then if you know about dinosaurs whereas I don't, you're better off and richer than I am. Am I right?”
― Wang Meng, Other Voices, Other Vistas: Short Stories from Africa, China, India, Japan and Latin America

“Absurd laughter is a kind of protest against an absurd existence.”
― Meng Wang