An upright ornate hand mirror reflects a cloudy sky above grey rubble and small green leaves.

Original artwork, not a still

Small Gods ‧ 1992

Terry Pratchett

When you can flatten entire cities at a whim, a tendency towards quiet reflection and seeing-things-from-the-other-fellow's-point-of-view is seldom necessary.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

When someone can destroy whole cities on impulse, they rarely need to stop and think, or to consider how things look to others. The dry line suggests that vast power weakens empathy, since reflection is a habit forced on the weak rather than the mighty.

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