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Two possibilities: making oneself infinitely small or being so. The second is perfection, that is to say, inactivity, the first is beginning, that is to say, action.
Franz Kafka
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that perfection is linked to inactivity while the act of beginning entails embracing our smallness and taking action.

Franz Kafka's quote reflects on the duality of existence and human experience, portraying the tension between striving for perfection through inaction and the idea that true beginnings involve purposeful action, no matter how humble. It implies that while aiming for an ideal might lead one toward stillness, embracing our less-than-perfect state encourages growth and action, ultimately fostering progress and self-discovery.

Themes

PerfectionActionInactivityBeginningsSmallness

In practice

Example use cases

Using this quote at the beginning of a motivational speech about overcoming fear and taking action.

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Some deny the existence of misery by pointing to the sun; he denies the existence of the sun by pointing to misery.
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But Gregor understood easily that it was not only consideration for him which prevented their moving, for he could easily have been transported in a suitable crate with a few air holes; what mainly prevented the family from moving was their complete hopelessness and the thought that they had been struck by a misfortune as none of their relatives and acquaintances had ever been hit.
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Association with human beings lures one into self-observation.
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A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity.
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The ulterior motives with which you absorb and assimilate Evil are not your own but those of Evil. _x000D_ The animal wrests the whip from its master and whips itself in order to become master, not knowing that this is only a fantasy produced by a new knot in the master's whiplash.
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