"It seems, in fact, that the more advanced a society is, the greater will be its interest in ruined things, for it will see in them a redemptively sobering reminder of the fragility of its own achievements. Ruins pose a direct challenge to our concern with power and rank, with bustle and fame. They puncture the inflated folly of our exhaustive and frenetic pursuit of wealth."

Folly Power Fame Achievement

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About Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton is a Swiss-born British author and public speaker whose work popularizes philosophy for everyday life.

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