Some deny the existence of misery by pointing to the sun; he denies the existence of the sun by pointing to misery.
Franz KafkaRead
I write differently from what I speak, I speak differently from what I think, I think differently from the way I ought to think, and so it all proceeds into deepest darkness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the complexities and disconnections between thought, speech, and writing.
Franz Kafka's quote explores the intricacies of human communication and self-expression, emphasizing how our thoughts, words, and written expressions can be misaligned. It suggests a struggle with expressing one's innermost thoughts clearly and indicates a journey into confusion or misunderstanding as one attempts to navigate these differences.
Themes
CommunicationSelf-ExpressionThoughtSpeechWritingConfusionPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the challenges of expressing thoughts clearly, this quote can serve as a profound reflection.
More from Franz Kafka
All quotes →One can disintegrate the world by means of very strong light. For weak eyes the world becomes solid, for still weaker eyes it seems to develop fists, for eyes weaker still it becomes shamefaced and smashes anyone who dares to gaze upon it.
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But Gregor understood easily that it was not only consideration for him which prevented their moving, for he could easily have been transported in a suitable crate with a few air holes; what mainly prevented the family from moving was their complete hopelessness and the thought that they had been struck by a misfortune as none of their relatives and acquaintances had ever been hit.
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Association with human beings lures one into self-observation.
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A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity.
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The ulterior motives with which you absorb and assimilate Evil are not your own but those of Evil. _x000D_ The animal wrests the whip from its master and whips itself in order to become master, not knowing that this is only a fantasy produced by a new knot in the master's whiplash.
Franz KafkaRead
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