We're our own dragons as well as our own heroes, and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves.
Tom RobbinsRead
If desire causes suffering, it may be because we do not desire wisely, or that we are inexpert at obtaining what we desire. Instead of hiding our heads in a prayer cloth and building walls against temptation, why not get better at fulfilling desire? Salvation is for the feeble, that's what I think. I don't want salvation, I want life, all of life, the miserable as well as the superb.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Desire can lead to suffering if not managed wisely, suggesting a need for skill in fulfilling our desires instead of avoiding them.
Tom Robbins encourages embracing desire rather than evading it. He argues that the suffering often associated with desire comes from a lack of wisdom in pursuing it, and instead of seeking salvation through avoidance, we should strive to become adept at fulfilling our desires. This perspective emphasizes the importance of experiencing all aspects of life, both the good and the bad, rather than retreating from them.
Themes
DesireSufferingWisdomFulfillmentLifeEmbrace
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on self-improvement, this quote can illustrate the importance of understanding our desires.
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The unhappy person resents it when you try to cheer him up, because that means he has to stop dwelling on himself and start paying attention to the universe. Unhappiness is the ultimate form of self-indulgence. When you're unhappy, you get to pay a lot of attention to yourself. You get to take yourself oh so very seriously.
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I'm an outlaw, not a philosopher, but I know this much: there's meaning in everything, all things are connected, and a good champagne is a drink.' Bernard began to sing again. Timidly, Leigh-Cheri joined in. Between verses, they opened another bottle. The popping of its cork echoed throughout the great stone chamber. Of the three billion people on earth, only Bernard and Leigh-Cheri heard the popping of the cork and its echoes. Only Bernard and Leigh-Cheri passed out under the tablecloth.
Tom RobbinsRead
The Divine was beyond description, beyond knowing, beyond comprehension. To say that the Divine was Creation divided by Destruction was as close as one could come to definition. But the puny of soul, the dull of wit, weren't content with that. They wanted to hang a face on the Divine. They went so far as to attribute petty human emotions - anger, jealousy, etc - to it, not stopping to realize that if God were a being, even a supreme being, our prayers would have bored him to death long ago.
Tom RobbinsRead
On their sofas of spice and feathers, the concubines also slept fretfully. In those days the Earth was still flat, and people dreamed often of falling over edges.
Tom RobbinsRead
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Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting in a particular way.
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Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life.
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