All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own.
Johann Wolfgang Von GoetheRead
Truth is a torch but a tremendous one. That is why we hurry past it, shielding our eyes, indeed, in fear of getting burned.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Truth is powerful but can be intimidating, causing people to avoid it out of fear.
In this quote, Goethe suggests that while truth is essential and illuminating, it can also be overwhelming and frightening. People often shy away from confronting the truth because it challenges their beliefs or reveals uncomfortable realities, much like one might shield their eyes from a powerful light to avoid being blinded or burned. This metaphor highlights the duality of truth as both a source of knowledge and a potential cause of discomfort.
Themes
TruthFearKnowledgeRealityAwareness
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about honesty and integrity, this quote can highlight the difficulty many face in confronting the truth.
More from Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
All quotes βDestiny grants us our wishes, but in its own way, in order to give us something beyond our wishes.
Johann Wolfgang Von GoetheRead
There is a courtesy of the heart; it is allied to love. From its springs the purest courtesy in the outward behavior.
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I am amazed to see how deliberately I have entangled myself step by step. To have seen my position so clearly, and yet to have acted so like a child!
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Seldom in the business and transactions of ordinary life, do we find the sympathy we want.
Johann Wolfgang Von GoetheRead
Know thyself? If I knew myself I would run away.
Johann Wolfgang Von GoetheRead
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