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
The truth knocks on the door and you say, go away, I'm looking for the truth, and it goes away. Puzzling.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quest for truth often requires openness and receptiveness; denying it can lead to missed opportunities.
This quote by Robert M. Pirsig illustrates the irony of pursuing truth while simultaneously shutting it out. It suggests that individuals frequently seek profound answers but often reject the very truths that confront them, leading to a cycle of confusion and missed insights. The act of dismissing truth can result in a continual search that yields little understanding, as one's own perceptions can obstruct clarity.
Themes
TruthOpennessPerceptionKnowledgeUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about personal growth, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of embracing uncomfortable truths.
More from Robert M. Pirsig
All quotes βWhen analytic thought, the knife, is applied to experience, something is always killed in the process.
Robert M. PirsigRead
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.
Robert M. PirsigRead
It's better not to see than to see wrongly.
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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
This inner peace of mind occurs on three levels of understanding. Physical quietness seems the easiest to achieve, although there are levels and levels of this too, as attested by the ability of Hindu mystics to live buried alive for many days. Mental quietness, in which one has no wandering thoughts at all, seems more difficult, but can be achieved. But value quietness, in which one has no wandering desires at all but simply performs the acts of his life without desire, that seems the hardest.
Robert M. PirsigRead
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