“I was not I, I was nothing - and that seemed to me quite marvelous.”
Source: The Zahir
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Paulo Coelho844
Brazilian lyricist and novelist 1947Related quotes
Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest
Variant: Would you be in any way offended if I said that you seem to me to be in every way the visible personification of absolute perfection?
Source: The Importance of Being Earnest
“Nothing but writing rests me; only then do I seem completely myself!”
Kate Douglas Wiggin (1856–1923) American writer
Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582) Roman Catholic saint
Source: The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus (c.1565), Ch. XXV. "Divine Locutions. Discussions on That Subject" ¶ 25
Context: I feared them so little, that the terrors, which until now oppressed me, quitted me altogether; and though I saw them occasionally, — I shall speak of this by and by, — I was never again afraid of them — on the contrary, they seemed to be afraid of me. I found myself endowed with a certain authority over them, given me by the Lord of all, so that I cared no more for them than for flies. They seem to be such cowards; for their strength fails them at the sight of any one who despises them. These enemies have not the courage to assail any but those whom they see ready to give in to them, or when God permits them to do so, for the greater good of His servants, whom they may try and torment.
Namwali Serpell (1980) Zambian feminist academic and writer
Source: On coming to terms with her mixed race identity in “Namwali Serpell: 'As a young woman I wasn’t very nice to myself'” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/30/namwali-serpell-the-old-drift-interview in The Guardian (2019 Apr 30)