It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
The important thing is not the finding, it is the seeking, it is the devotion with which one spins the wheel of prayer and scripture, discovering the truth little by little.
Interpretation
The journey of seeking truth is more important than the discoveries made along the way.
Ursula K. Le Guin emphasizes the value of the pursuit of knowledge and truth rather than the end result. The act of engaging deeply with spiritual practices like prayer and studying scripture is portrayed as a rewarding process that contributes to our understanding of truth, suggesting that devotion and dedication in the quest are crucial for personal growth.
In practice
A speaker might use this quote while discussing the importance of continuous learning.
It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
In reading a novel, any novel, we have to know perfectly well that the whole thing is nonsense, and then, while reading, believe every word of it. Finally, when we're done with it, we may find - if it's a good novel - that we're a bit different from what we were before we read it, that we have changed a little... But it's very hard to say just what we learned, how we were changed.
Reason is a faculty far larger than mere objective force. When either the political or the scientific discourse announces itself as the voice of reason, it is playing God, and should be spanked and stood in the corner.
The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.
We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel... is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.
When he found that the administrators were upset, he laughed. “Do they expect students not to be anarchists?” he said. “What else can the young be? When you are on the bottom, you must organize from the bottom up
Difficulties are things that show a person what they are.
Our words have wings, but fly not where we would.
Say whatever your memory suggests is true; but add nothing and exaggerate nothing.
I do not believe in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
Life is short and the time of death is uncertain; so apply yourself to meditation. Avoid doing evil, and acquire merit, to the best of your ability, even at the cost of life itself. In short: Act so that you have no cause to be ashamed of yourselves and hold fast to this rule.
There is only a finger's difference between a wise man and a fool.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.