The Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, is seen as the beginning of modern depravity.
Umberto EcoRead
I seem to know all the cliches, but not how to put them together in a believable way. Or else these stories are terrible and grandiose precisely because all the cliches intertwine in an unrealistic way and you can't disentangle them. But when you actually live a cliche, it feels brand new, and you are unashamed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Living through cliches can bring a fresh and authentic experience, despite their common nature.
Umberto Eco reflects on the nature of cliches in storytelling and life. He acknowledges that while cliches are often seen as tired and overused, when one experiences them personally, they can evoke genuine emotions and resonate in a new and profound way. The intertwining of cliches in narratives can sometimes lead to unrealistic portrayals, yet in real life, embracing these familiar experiences can lead to a sense of authenticity and renewal.
Themes
ClichesExperienceAuthenticityStorytellingLife
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about embracing life experiences, one might quote Eco to highlight the beauty of familiarity.
More from Umberto Eco
All quotes →I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early poetry, and bad poets publish it. Thankfully I gave up rather quickly.
Umberto EcoRead
But why do some people support [the heretics]?" "Because it serves their purposes, which concern the faith rarely, and more often the conquest of power." "Is that why the church of Rome accuses all its adversaries of heresy?" "That is why, and that is also why it recognizes as orthodoxy any heresy it can bring back under its own control or must accept because the heresy has become too strong.
Umberto EcoRead
You die, but most of what you have accumulated will not be lost; you are leaving a message in a bottle.
Umberto EcoRead
"Then we are living in a place abandoned by God," I said, disheartened. "Have you found any places where God would have felt at home?" William asked me, looking down from his great height.
Umberto EcoRead
The lunatic is all idée fixe, and whatever he comes across confirms his lunacy. You can tell him by the liberties he takes with common sense, by his flashes of inspiration, and by the fact that sooner or later he brings up the Templars.
Umberto EcoRead
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However fascinating you may think you are, there is a limit to what you can know about yourself.
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A dinner! How horrible! I am to be made the pretext for killing all those wretched animals and birds, and fish! Thank you for nothing. Now if it were to be a fast instead of a feast; say a solemn three days' abstention from corpses in my honour, I could at least pretend to believe that it was disinterested. Blood sacrifices are not in my line
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