Let us face a pluralistic world in which there are no universal churches, no single remedy for all diseases, no one way to teach or write or sing, no magic diet, no world poets, and no chosen races, but only the wretched and wonderfully diversified human race.
Finding oneself was a misnomer; a self is not found but made.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that self-discovery is an active process rather than a passive one; we create our identities through our choices and actions.
Jacques Barzun's quote emphasizes the idea that we do not simply uncover a pre-existing self; instead, our identity is shaped and constructed through our experiences, decisions, and growth. The journey of personal development involves actively engaging with life, experiencing challenges, making choices, and learning from them, thus crafting who we are. This perspective highlights the responsibility each individual has in defining their own essence rather than waiting for a revelation.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about personal growth, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of actively participating in one's own life journey.
More from Jacques Barzun
All quotes βMachines are admirable and tyrannize only with the user's consent. Where, then, is the enemy? Not where the machine gives relief from drudgery but where human judgment abdicates. The smoothest machine-made product of the age is the organization man, for even the best organizing principle tends to corrupt, and the mechanical principle corrupts absolutely.
In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day's work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years.
I can only think that the book is read because it deals with the difficulties of schooling, which do not change. Please note: the difficulties, not the problems. Problems are solved or disappear with the revolving times. Difficulities remain. It will always be difficult to teach well, to learn accurately; to read, write, and count readily and competently; to acquire a sense of history and start one's education or anothers.
Convince yourself that you are working in clay, not marble, on paper not eternal bronze: Let that first sentence be as stupid as it wishes.
The world has long observed that small acts of immorality, if repeated, will destroy character. It is equally manifest, though never said, that uttering nonsense and half-truth without cease ends by destroying Intellect
Similar quotes
Be confident small immortals. You are not the only voice that all things utter, nor is there eternal silence in the places where you cannot come.
It's disquieting to reflect that one's dreams never symbolize one's real wishes, but always something Much Worse... If I really wanted to be passionately embraced by Peter, I should dream of dentists or gardening. I wonder what unspeakable depths of awfulness can only be expressed by the polite symbol of Peter's embraces?
I know from personal experience that the abuse of prisoners will produce more bad than good intelligence.
The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied win applause.
The sanctity of law can be maintained only so long as it is the expression of the will of the people.
I am a law only for my kind, I am no law for all.