To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
Aldous HuxleyRead
To be enlightened is to be aware, always, of total reality in its immanent otherness - to be aware of it and yet remain in a condition to survive as an animal. Our goal is to discover that we have always been where we ought to be. Unhappily we make the task exceedingly difficult for ourselves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of awareness of reality while maintaining our survival instincts.
Aldous Huxley's quote speaks to the duality of human existence, where enlightenment requires a deep understanding of the totality of reality, including its complexities and contradictions. He suggests that while we strive for this awareness, we often complicate the process through our own actions and thoughts, losing sight of the fact that we are inherently where we need to be in life.
Themes
AwarenessRealityEnlightenmentExistenceSurvival
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical discussion about the nature of consciousness.
More from Aldous Huxley
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In the course of history many more people have died for their drink and their dope than have died for their religion or their country.
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On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.
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No man ever dared to manifest his boredom so insolently as does a Siamese tomcat when he yawns in the face of his amorously importunate wife.
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The leech's kiss, the squid's embrace, The prurient ape's defiling touch: And do you like the human race? No, not much.
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