Courage consists not in blindly overlooking danger, but in seeing it, and conquering it.
Jean PaulRead
I would rather dwell in the dim fog of superstition than in air rarefied to nothing by the air-pump of unbelief-in which the panting breast expires, vainly and convulsively gasping for breath.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a preference for belief, even if it is misguided, over disbelief that leads to existential void.
Jean Paul's quote suggests that the author prefers the comfort of superstition to the emptiness experienced through complete disbelief. It conveys the idea that faith, even if based on illusions, provides a sense of purpose and existence, whereas rational skepticism can lead to a profound sense of disconnection and despair, likening the experience of disbelief to a struggle for breath in an inhospitable environment.
Themes
SuperstitionBeliefDisbeliefExistentialismPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the importance of belief systems, this quote can highlight the value of faith.
More from Jean Paul
All quotes →Man's feelings are always purest and most glowing in the hour of meeting and of farewell.
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A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes anothers.
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There are souls in this world which have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go.
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If self-knowledge is the road to virtue, so is virtue still more the road to self-knowledge.
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Universal love is a glove without fingers, which fits all bands alike and none closely; but true affection is like a glove with fingers, which fits one hand only, and sits close to that one.
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