The hearing that is only in the ears is one thing. The hearing of the understanding is another. But the hearing of the spirit is not limited to any one faculty to the ear, or to the mind.
ZhuangziRead
I cannot tell if what the world considers ‘happiness’ is happiness or not. All I know is that when I consider the way they go about attaining it, I see them carried away headlong, grim and obsessed, in the general onrush of the human herd, unable to stop themselves or to change their direction. All the while they claim to be just on the point of attaining happiness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote questions conventional perceptions of happiness and critiques the relentless pursuit of it by society.
Zhuangzi reflects on the nature of happiness as defined by societal norms. He observes that people often blindly follow the crowd in their quest for happiness, leading to a state of obsession and stress, rather than genuine joy. This critique invites a deeper examination of what true happiness is, separate from societal expectations and pressures.
Themes
HappinessSocietyPursuitWisdomSelf-Reflection
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a seminar about mental health and self-awareness.
More from Zhuangzi
All quotes →Either in conflict with others or in harmony with them, we go through life like a runaway horse, unable to stop.
ZhuangziRead
When people do not ignore what they should ignore, but ignore what they should not ignore, this is known as ignorance.
ZhuangziRead
The true man of the past waited upon Heaven when dealing with people and did not wait upon people when dealing with Heaven.
ZhuangziRead
The mind remains undetermined in the great Void. Here the highest knowledge is unbounded. That which gives things their thusness cannot be delimited by things. So when we speak of 'limits', we remain confined to limited things. The limit of the unlimited is called 'fullness.' The limitlessness of the limited is called 'emptiness.' Tao is the source of both. But it is itself neither fullness nor emptiness
ZhuangziRead
All the fish needs is to get lost in the water. All man needs is to get lost in Tao.
ZhuangziRead
Similar quotes
When you are warm-hearted, there is no room for anger, jealousy or insecurity.
Dalai LamaRead
Devotion is diligence without assurance. Faith is a way of saying "Yes, I pre-accept the terms of the universe and I embrace in advance what I am presently incapable of understanding.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
Popular opinions, on subjects not palpable to sense, are often true, but seldom or never the whole truth.
John Stuart MillRead
When we're awake in our bodies and sense, the world comes alive. Wisdom, creativity, and love are discovered as we relax and awaken through our bodies.
Tara BrachRead
Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?
Jeff BezosRead
The willingness to reach inside every part of yourself opens the door to total understanding. You place your entire identity on the line, not just an isolated part. This may sound daunting, but actually it’s the most natural way to approach any situation. When you hold some part of yourself in reserve you deny it exposure to life; you repress its energy and keep it form understanding what it needs to know.
Deepak ChopraRead