“In order to understand, I destroyed myself.”
A Factless Autobiography, Richard Zenith Edition, Lisbon, 2006, p. 73
The Book of Disquiet
Original: Para compreender, destruí-me.
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Fernando Pessoa 288
Portuguese poet, writer, literary critic, translator, publi… 1888–1935Related quotes
“I want, by understanding myself, to understand others.”
Journal entry (14 October 1922), published in The Journal of Katherine Mansfield (1927)
Context: By health I mean the power to live a full, adult, living, breathing life in close contact with what I love — the earth and the wonders thereof — the sea — the sun, all that we mean when we speak of the external world. I want to enter into it, to be part of it, to live in it, to learn from it, to lose all that is superficial and acquired in me and to become a conscious, direct human being. I want, by understanding myself, to understand others.
“When I understand myself, I understand you, and out of that understanding comes love.”
“Understand me who can, for I understand myself.”
Canzone 105, st. 2
Il Canzoniere (c. 1351–1353), To Laura in Life
Source: The Temple of the Golden Pavilion
“Times when I understand myself a little, I understand others less.”
Las veces que me comprendo un poco, comprendo menos a los demás.
Voces (1943)
“I write in order to comprehend, not to express myself.”
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
1: 17 - 31 (KJV) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%201&version=SBLGNT;KJV
First Epistle to the Corinthians
Context: Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
“I am a writer of books in retrospect. I talk in order to understand; I teach in order to learn”