I think we are blind. Blind people who can see, but do not see.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that many people fail to perceive the deeper truths and realities of life, despite having the ability to see.
In this quote, Saramago highlights the concept of metaphorical blindness, where individuals may have physical sight yet remain oblivious to the significant and often overlooked truths around them. This blindness can stem from societal conditioning, apathy, or indifference, thereby pointing to the importance of awareness and genuine perception in understanding the world and ourselves.
In practice
During a discussion on societal issues, this quote can illustrate how many ignore the realities facing others.
Why did we become blind, I don't know, perhaps one day we'll find out, Do you want me to tell you what I think, Yes, do, I don't think we did go blind, I think we are blind, Blind but seeing, Blind people who can see, but do not see.
I can't imagine myself outside any kind of social or political involvement. Yes, I'm a writer, but I live in this world, and my writing doesn't exist on a separate level. And if people know who I am and read my books, well, good; that way, if I have something more to say, then everyone benefits.
...you have to leave the island in order to see the island, that we can't see ourselves unless we become free of ourselves, Unless we escape from ourselves you mean, No, that's not the same thing.
Whether we like it or not, the one justification for the existence of all religions is death, they need death as much as we need bread to eat.
With the passage of time, as well as the social evolution and genetic exchange, we ended up putting our conscience in the color of our blood and the salt of our tears.
En ningún momento de la historia, en ningún lugar del planeta, las religiones han servido para que los seres humanos se acerquen unos a los otros. Por el contrario, sólo han servido para separar, para quemar, para torturar. No creo en dios, no lo necesito y además soy buena persona.
Renunciation - non-resistance - non-destructiveness - are the ideals to be attained through less and less worldliness, less and less resistance, less and less destructiveness. Keep the ideal in view and work towards it. None can live in the world without resistance, without destruction, without desire. The world has not come to that state yet when the ideal can be realised in society.
Even with the utterly lost, to whom life and death are equally jests, there are matters of which no jest can be made.
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
My only fear is that I may live too long. This would be a subject of dread to me.
Ive seen the meanness of humans till I dont know why God aint put out the sun and gone away.
It is sometimes said that we drink our religion with our mother's milk.
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