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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.
Ludwig Wittgenstein
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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

If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world.
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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.
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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?
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Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself.
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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.
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