When I learnt to write I became my own master, I became very strong, and that strength is with me to this very day.
V. S. NaipaulRead
The only lies for which we are truly punished are those we tell ourselves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We suffer the most from the deceptions we create in our own minds.
This quote suggests that self-deception is the most harmful form of lying. It implies that the lies we tell ourselves can lead to significant emotional and psychological distress, as they can cloud our judgment and hinder personal growth.
Themes
Self-DeceptionTruthWisdomPersonal GrowthLies
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a discussion about honesty in personal relationships.
More from V. S. Naipaul
All quotes βIt is wrong to have an ideal view of the world. That's where the mischief starts. That's where everything starts unravelling.
V. S. NaipaulRead
If you decide to move to another country and to live within its laws you don't express your disregard for the essence of the culture. It's a form of aggression.
V. S. NaipaulRead
One must always try to see the truth of a situation - it makes things universal.
V. S. NaipaulRead
His ignorance seemed to widen with everything he read.
V. S. NaipaulRead
I think when you see so many Hindu temples of the 10th century or earlier disfigured, defaced, you realise that something terrible happened. I feel the civilisation of that closed world was mortally wounded by those invasions the old world is destroyed. That has to be understood. Ancient Hindu India was destroyed.
V. S. NaipaulRead
Similar quotes
Stand guard at the door of your mind.
Jim RohnRead
Never, in peace or war, commit your virtue or your happiness to the future. Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment 'as to the Lord.' It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.
C. S. LewisRead
Even when the winds of misfortune blow, amazing things can still happen.
Gabriel Garcia MarquezRead
Danger lurks when people are dissociated and detached from their own story or feelings.
Eve EnslerRead
On this sacred path of Radical Acceptance, rather than striving for perfection, we discover how to love ourselves into wholeness.
Tara BrachRead
There are three words that convey the secret of the art of living, the secret of all success and happiness. One With Life.
Eckhart TolleRead