The poet is one who is able to keep the fresh vision of the child alive.
Anais NinRead
[in the]..curious way that my idealism has been mixed with my fatalism, so that I can possess the soul of a dreamer and that of a cynic at the same time......I possess a power of magic...[to] destroy the balance of a well-designed destiny with my diabolical mind.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the tension between idealism and cynicism in shaping one's destiny.
Anais Nin's quote captures the duality of human nature, where idealism and cynicism coexist within an individual. It suggests that this inner conflict provides a unique perspective on life, allowing one to dream while also recognizing the harsh realities of existence, ultimately demonstrating the power of choice in shaping one's destiny.
Themes
IdealismFatalismDestinyCynicismDreamerPower
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about personal growth, one might say, 'As Anais Nin expressed, we can embody both the optimism of a dreamer and the skepticism of a cynic.'
More from Anais Nin
All quotes βAnxiety is love's greatest killer, because it is like the stranglehold of the drowning.
Anais NinRead
We celebrate peace. Yet we pay no attention to the ways of curing aggression in human beings. And when one sees in psychoanalysis hostility disappearing as people conquer their fears, one wonders if the cure is not there.
Anais NinRead
The impetus to grow and live intensely is so powerful in me I cannot resist it. I will work, I will love my husband, but I will fulfill myself.
Anais NinRead
We have been poisoned by fairy tales.
Anais NinRead
But I lie. I embellish. My words are not deep enough. They disguise, they conceal. I will not rest until I have told of my descent into a sensuality which was as dark, as magnificent, as wild, as my moments of mystic creation have been dazzling, ecstatic, exalted.
Anais NinRead
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Ultimately a highly complex sentiment, having its first origin in the social instincts, largely guided by the approbation of our fellow-men, ruled by reason, self-interest, and in later times by deep religious feelings, confirmed by instruction and habit, all combined, constitute our moral sense or conscience.
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If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve. Trying to control the future is like trying to take the master carpenter's place. When you handle the master carpenter's tools, chances are that you'll cut your hand.
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