Those who think they 'know' from the beginning will never in fact _x000D_ come to know anything.
Interpretation
This quote suggests that true understanding comes with an open mind rather than preconceived notions.
Thomas Merton's quote emphasizes the importance of humility in knowledge acquisition. It highlights that individuals who believe they already possess all the answers close themselves off to new insights and learning experiences. The quest for knowledge requires a willingness to question and reconsider what we think we know.
In practice
In a discussion about lifelong learning, this quote can remind us to stay open-minded.
The devil is no fool. He can get people feeling about heaven the way they ought to feel about hell. He can make them fear the means of grace the way they do not fear sin. And he does so, not by light but by obscurity, not by realities but by shadows; not by clarity and substance, but by dreams and the creatures of psychosis. And men are so poor in intellect that a few cold chills down their spine will be enough to keep them from ever finding out the truth about anything.
Our vocation is not simply to be, but to work together with God in the creation of our own life, our own identity, our own destiny....To work out our identity in God.
Conscience is the light by which we interpret the will of God in our own lives.
You are made in the image of what you desire.
But if you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I think I am living for.
I have the immense joy of being man, a member of a race in which God Himself became incarnate. As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now that I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.
Doctrine is nothing but the skin of truth set up and stuffed.
Errors, to be dangerous, must have a great deal of truth mingled with them. It is only from this alliance that they can ever obtain an extensive circulation.
The more aware of your intentions and your experiences you become, the more you will be able to connect the two, and the more you will be able to create the experiences of your life consciously. This is the development of mastery. It is the creation of authentic power.
Vices are their own punishment
It can be easy and tempting, especially during a presidential campaign, to listen only to opinions that mirror and fortify one's own. That's not ideal, because it eliminates learning and makes it impossible for people to understand what they dismiss as 'the other side.'
It's about time we stopped buying things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.
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