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Auguries of innocence "The emmet's inch and eagle's mile Make lame philosophy to smile. He who doubts from what he sees Will ne'er believe, do what you please.
William Blake
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that differing perspectives can lead to varying interpretations of truth and reality.

William Blake's quote emphasizes the idea that one's perception of reality is influenced by their experiences and beliefs. The comparison of the 'emmet' (ant) and the 'eagle' illustrates how smaller and larger beings can perceive distances very differently, suggesting that what is profound or valid for one may appear trivial to another. Ultimately, it highlights the importance of perspective in understanding the world and cautions against doubt based solely on observed evidence.

Themes

PerspectiveTruthPhilosophyPerceptionBelief

In practice

Example use cases

During a philosophy class, one could reference this quote to stimulate discussion about subjective perception.

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