The hunter for aphorisms on human nature has to fish in muddy water, and he is even condemned to find much of his own mind.
F. H. BradleyRead
It is good to know what a man is, and also what the world takes him for. But you do not understand him until you have learnt how he understands himself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding a person requires knowledge of both their self-perception and how others view them.
This quote emphasizes the complexity of understanding an individual. It suggests that true comprehension goes beyond external perceptions and societal labels; one must delve into how the person perceives themselves to grasp their true essence. It's a reminder that identity is multi-faceted and influenced by both internal and external factors.
Themes
UnderstandingSelfPerceptionIdentityComplexity
In practice
Example use cases
In a psychology class discussing self-identity, this quote can provoke deeper thought on how people perceive themselves versus how they are perceived by society.
More from F. H. Bradley
All quotes →Where everything is bad it must be good to know the worst.
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The secret of happiness is to admire without desiring. And that is not happiness.
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True penitence condemns to silence. What a man is ready to recall he would be willing to repeat.
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Our live experiences, fixed in aphorisms, stiffen into cold epigrams. Our heart's blood, as we write it, turns to mere dull ink.
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Metaphysics is the finding of bad reasons for what we believe on instinct.
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