“No one is born hating…” vs. “No one is born to hate…”
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his
skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate,
and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love
comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Source: Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Why can't it be "No one is born to hate another…"?
meaning differences infinitives
edited yesterday
Mari-Lou A
62.4k56222462
asked Mar 19 at 16:58
KaushikKaushik
418
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Kaushik is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his
skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate,
and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love
comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Source: Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Why can't it be "No one is born to hate another…"?
meaning differences infinitives
edited yesterday
Mari-Lou A
62.4k56222462
asked Mar 19 at 16:58
KaushikKaushik
418
New contributor
Kaushik is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
It can be. This is English -- there's no rule that there can be only one way to express a thought. But note that there are subtle differences in meaning between the two options.
– Hot Licks
Mar 19 at 17:03
But will there be a change in meaning?
– Kaushik
Mar 19 at 17:03
Yes, a subtle change in meaning. See the answer by @Ian MacDonald. In English "born to X" is used idiomatically to state a purpose or destiny for someones life and is not necessarily literal. Saying the baby is not born hating means that hating needs to be learned.
– Damila
Mar 19 at 17:44
add a comment |
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his
skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate,
and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love
comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Source: Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Why can't it be "No one is born to hate another…"?
meaning differences infinitives
edited yesterday
Mari-Lou A
62.4k56222462
asked Mar 19 at 16:58
KaushikKaushik
418
New contributor
Kaushik is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his
skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate,
and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love
comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Source: Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Why can't it be "No one is born to hate another…"?
meaning differences infinitives
meaning differences infinitives
edited yesterday
Mari-Lou A
62.4k56222462
asked Mar 19 at 16:58
KaushikKaushik
418
New contributor
Kaushik is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited yesterday
Mari-Lou A
62.4k56222462
asked Mar 19 at 16:58
KaushikKaushik
418
New contributor
Kaushik is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited yesterday
Mari-Lou A
62.4k56222462
edited yesterday
Mari-Lou A
62.4k56222462
edited yesterday
Mari-Lou A
62.4k56222462
62.4k56222462
asked Mar 19 at 16:58
KaushikKaushik
418
New contributor
Kaushik is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Mar 19 at 16:58
KaushikKaushik
418
asked Mar 19 at 16:58
KaushikKaushik
418
418
New contributor
Kaushik is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Kaushik is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Kaushik is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
It can be. This is English -- there's no rule that there can be only one way to express a thought. But note that there are subtle differences in meaning between the two options.
– Hot Licks
Mar 19 at 17:03
But will there be a change in meaning?
– Kaushik
Mar 19 at 17:03
Yes, a subtle change in meaning. See the answer by @Ian MacDonald. In English "born to X" is used idiomatically to state a purpose or destiny for someones life and is not necessarily literal. Saying the baby is not born hating means that hating needs to be learned.
– Damila
Mar 19 at 17:44
add a comment |
It can be. This is English -- there's no rule that there can be only one way to express a thought. But note that there are subtle differences in meaning between the two options.
– Hot Licks
Mar 19 at 17:03
But will there be a change in meaning?
– Kaushik
Mar 19 at 17:03
Yes, a subtle change in meaning. See the answer by @Ian MacDonald. In English "born to X" is used idiomatically to state a purpose or destiny for someones life and is not necessarily literal. Saying the baby is not born hating means that hating needs to be learned.
– Damila
Mar 19 at 17:44
It can be. This is English -- there's no rule that there can be only one way to express a thought. But note that there are subtle differences in meaning between the two options.
– Hot Licks
Mar 19 at 17:03
It can be. This is English -- there's no rule that there can be only one way to express a thought. But note that there are subtle differences in meaning between the two options.
– Hot Licks
Mar 19 at 17:03
But will there be a change in meaning?
– Kaushik
Mar 19 at 17:03
But will there be a change in meaning?
– Kaushik
Mar 19 at 17:03
Yes, a subtle change in meaning. See the answer by @Ian MacDonald. In English "born to X" is used idiomatically to state a purpose or destiny for someones life and is not necessarily literal. Saying the baby is not born hating means that hating needs to be learned.
– Damila
Mar 19 at 17:44
Yes, a subtle change in meaning. See the answer by @Ian MacDonald. In English "born to X" is used idiomatically to state a purpose or destiny for someones life and is not necessarily literal. Saying the baby is not born hating means that hating needs to be learned.
– Damila
Mar 19 at 17:44
add a comment |
1 Answer
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votes
There's nothing stopping it from being as you write, but the words were chosen by Nelson Mandela to evoke a certain meaning. Here, he evokes a state of being. A newborn acting as soon as it is born. Had he chosen "to hate", then there is less finality to the statement.
Consider:
This baby was born to hate.
This baby will hate at some point in the future.
vs
This baby was born hating.
This baby is actively hating from the moment of birth.
answered Mar 19 at 17:04
Ian MacDonaldIan MacDonald
3,0211017
add a comment |
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There's nothing stopping it from being as you write, but the words were chosen by Nelson Mandela to evoke a certain meaning. Here, he evokes a state of being. A newborn acting as soon as it is born. Had he chosen "to hate", then there is less finality to the statement.
Consider:
This baby was born to hate.
This baby will hate at some point in the future.
vs
This baby was born hating.
This baby is actively hating from the moment of birth.
answered Mar 19 at 17:04
Ian MacDonaldIan MacDonald
3,0211017
add a comment |
There's nothing stopping it from being as you write, but the words were chosen by Nelson Mandela to evoke a certain meaning. Here, he evokes a state of being. A newborn acting as soon as it is born. Had he chosen "to hate", then there is less finality to the statement.
Consider:
This baby was born to hate.
This baby will hate at some point in the future.
vs
This baby was born hating.
This baby is actively hating from the moment of birth.
answered Mar 19 at 17:04
Ian MacDonaldIan MacDonald
3,0211017
add a comment |
There's nothing stopping it from being as you write, but the words were chosen by Nelson Mandela to evoke a certain meaning. Here, he evokes a state of being. A newborn acting as soon as it is born. Had he chosen "to hate", then there is less finality to the statement.
Consider:
This baby was born to hate.
This baby will hate at some point in the future.
vs
This baby was born hating.
This baby is actively hating from the moment of birth.
answered Mar 19 at 17:04
Ian MacDonaldIan MacDonald
3,0211017
There's nothing stopping it from being as you write, but the words were chosen by Nelson Mandela to evoke a certain meaning. Here, he evokes a state of being. A newborn acting as soon as it is born. Had he chosen "to hate", then there is less finality to the statement.
Consider:
This baby was born to hate.
This baby will hate at some point in the future.
vs
This baby was born hating.
This baby is actively hating from the moment of birth.
answered Mar 19 at 17:04
Ian MacDonaldIan MacDonald
3,0211017
answered Mar 19 at 17:04
Ian MacDonaldIan MacDonald
3,0211017
answered Mar 19 at 17:04
Ian MacDonaldIan MacDonald
3,0211017
answered Mar 19 at 17:04
Ian MacDonaldIan MacDonald
3,0211017
3,0211017
add a comment |
add a comment |
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It can be. This is English -- there's no rule that there can be only one way to express a thought. But note that there are subtle differences in meaning between the two options.
– Hot Licks
Mar 19 at 17:03
But will there be a change in meaning?
– Kaushik
Mar 19 at 17:03
Yes, a subtle change in meaning. See the answer by @Ian MacDonald. In English "born to X" is used idiomatically to state a purpose or destiny for someones life and is not necessarily literal. Saying the baby is not born hating means that hating needs to be learned.
– Damila
Mar 19 at 17:44