If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
My day passes between logic, whistling, going for walks, and being depressed. I wish to God that I were more intelligent and everything would finally become clear to me - or else that I needn't live much longer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a struggle with understanding and intelligence amidst feelings of depression.
In this quote, Ludwig Wittgenstein expresses a profound sense of frustration and despair regarding his mental clarity and intelligence. He describes the banality of his daily activities juxtaposed with a deep yearning for greater understanding, suggesting that without such insight, life feels burdensome. The longing for intelligence is not only a wish for clarity but also intertwined with a feeling of hopelessness, revealing a deeply introspective view on existence and the human condition.
Themes
DepressionIntelligenceUnderstandingExistencePhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about mental health challenges, this quote can highlight the struggle between seeking knowledge and dealing with depression.
More from Ludwig Wittgenstein
All quotes →One cannot guess how a word functions. One has to look at its use and learn from that. But the difficulty is to remove the prejudice which stands in the way of doing this. It is not a stupid prejudice.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
No one likes having offended another person; hence everyone feels so much better if the other person doesn't show he's been offended. Nobody likes being confronted by a wounded spaniel. Remember that. It is much easier patiently - and tolerantly - to avoid the person you have injured than to approach him as a friend. You need courage for that.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
It's impossible for me to say one word about all that music has meant to me in my life. How, then, can I hope to be understood?
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
I am sitting with a philosopher in the garden; he says again and again 'I know that that’s a tree', pointing to a tree that is near us. Someone else arrives and hears this, and I tell him: 'This fellow isn’t insane. We are only doing philosophy.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
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