The premonition of madness is complicated by the fear of lucidity in madness, the fear of the moments of return and reunion... One would welcome chaos if one were not afraid of lights in it.
Emile M. CioranRead
Anyone who speaks in the name of others is always an impostor.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that those who claim to represent others often do so dishonestly or without authenticity.
Cioran's assertion highlights the idea that true representation requires understanding and authenticity. When individuals speak on behalf of others without genuine insight into their experiences or feelings, they risk misrepresenting those they claim to represent. This can lead to disillusionment and a detachment from the real voices of the people being spoken for, making them impostors in the eyes of both their audience and those they purport to represent.
Themes
ImpostorRepresentationAuthenticityVoiceTruth
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on social justice, it might be used to emphasize the importance of listening to marginalized voices.
More from Emile M. Cioran
All quotes βWe are afraid of the enormity of the possible.
Emile M. CioranRead
There was a time when time did not yet exist. β¦ The rejection of birth is nothing but the nostalgia for this time before time.
Emile M. CioranRead
A marvel that has nothing to offer, democracy is at once a nation's paradise and its tomb.
Emile M. CioranRead
Paradise was unendurable, otherwise the first man would have adapted to it; this world is no less so, since here we regret paradise or anticipate another one. What to do? Where to go? Do nothing and go nowhere, easy enough.
Emile M. CioranRead
It is not worth the bother of killing yourself, since you always kill yourself too late.
Emile M. CioranRead
Similar quotes
Personality begins where comparison ends.
Karl LagerfeldRead
It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.
Albert EinsteinRead
Viper will eat viper, and it would serve them both right!
Fyodor DostoevskyRead
No company can be expected to build a nuclear reactor, an oil well, a coal mine, or anything else that's one hundred percent safe under all circumstances. The costs would be prohibitive. It's unreasonable to expect corporations to totally guard against small chances of every potential accident.
Robert ReichRead
I believe all religions pursue the same goals, that of cultivating human goodness and bringing happiness to all human beings. Though the means might appear different the ends are the same.
Dalai LamaRead
The Holy Koran teaches that whoever kills an innocent is as - it is as if he has killed all mankind.
Barack ObamaRead