The way to see what looks good and understand the reasons it looks good, and to be at one with this goodness as the work proceeds, is to cultivate an inner quietness, a peace of mind so that goodness can shine through.
Robert M. PirsigRead
Metaphysics is a restaurant where they give you a thirty thousand page menu, and no food.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Metaphysics explores abstract concepts but often lacks practical application.
This quote by Robert M. Pirsig uses the metaphor of a restaurant with an overwhelming menu but no food to illustrate the nature of metaphysics. It suggests that while metaphysics delves into complex and abstract ideas, it often fails to provide concrete answers or practical insights, much like a menu that offers a plethora of choices without actually delivering any sustenance.
Themes
MetaphysicsPhilosophyAbstractKnowledgeUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on the limits of philosophy, this quote can illustrate the challenges of abstract thought.
More from Robert M. Pirsig
All quotes βWhen analytic thought, the knife, is applied to experience, something is always killed in the process.
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The Buddha resides as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he does at the top of a mountain.
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It's better not to see than to see wrongly.
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The truth knocks on the door and you say, go away, I'm looking for the truth, and it goes away. Puzzling.
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You want to know how to paint a perfect painting? It's easy. Make yourself perfect and then just paint naturally.
Robert M. PirsigRead
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