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
Observe what is with undivided awareness.
Bruce LeeRead
You never really learn much from hearing yourself talk.
George ClooneyRead
Real eyes, realize, real lies.
Tupac ShakurRead
Do not underestimate the human being, who sometimes appears so simple. Even with sight as sharp as an eagle, a mind as sharp as a razor, senses more powerful than gods, hearing that can catch the music and the lamentations of life, your knowledge of humanity will never be total.
Pramoedya Ananta ToerRead
Well, I think we tried very hard not to be overconfident, because when you get overconfident, that's when something snaps up and bites you.
Neil ArmstrongRead
The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us.
Aiden Wilson TozerRead