Christopher Hitchens: From Quote to Quote

Alexander Blanchard

The greatest testament to Hitchens’ indefatigable talent and unshaken brilliance must ultimately reside in the labels that were bandied about on the day of his death. Provocateur, conversationalist, critic, journalist, secularist, writer, author, intellectual – each provides something of a vignette into a life lived undoubtedly to its fullest and each hint at his acumen as a writer. Yet, collectively, they do not say nearly enough. In Hitchens it is the sentiment of ‘contrarianism’ which is, through his dexterous use of language, embodied most energetically.

‘Don’t be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. Picture all experts as if they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. Suspect your own motives, and all excuses. Do not live for others any more than you would expect others to live for…

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