The white fathers told us: I think, therefore I am. The black goddess within each of us - the poet - whispers in our dreams: I feel, therefore I can be free.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of emotions in the quest for freedom and self-identity.
Audre Lorde’s quote contrasts two philosophical perspectives: the rational thought represented by 'I think, therefore I am,' and the emotional wisdom expressed in 'I feel, therefore I can be free.' It highlights the significance of feeling and intuition in understanding oneself and achieving true freedom, suggesting that human experiences encompass more than just rational thought; they involve deep emotional awareness and connection to one's inner self.
In practice
In a speech about mental health, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of emotional well-being.
The fact that we are here and that I speak these words is an attempt to break that silence and bridge some of those differences between us, for it is not difference which immobilizes us, but silence. And there are so many silences to be broken.
There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.
There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt.
I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.
I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.
There's always someone asking you to underline one piece of yourself - whether it's Black, woman, mother, dyke, teacher, etc. - because that's the piece that they need to key in to. They want to dismiss everything else.
True greatness is when your name is like ampere, watt, and fourier-when it's spelled with a lower case letter.
People assume you can't be shy and be on television. They're wrong.
Virtue rejects facility to be her companion. She requires a craggy, rough and thorny way.
You are one of the rare people who can separate your observation from your perception...you see what is, where most people see what they expect.
Take care of yourself - you never know when the world will need you.
When I tried this morning, after an hour or so of unhappy thinking, to dip back into my meditation, I took a new idea with me: compassion. I asked my heart if it could please infuse my soul with a more generous perspective on my mind's workings. Instead of thinking that I was a failure, could I perhaps accept that I am only a human being--and a normal one, at that?
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