Perspectivism Quotes

“When two things occur successively we call them cause and effect if we believe one event made the other one happen. If we think one event is the response to the other, we call it a reaction. If we feel that the two incidents are not related, we call it a mere coincidence. If we think someone deserved what happened, we call it retribution or reward, depending on whether the event was negative or positive for the recipient. If we cannot find a reason for the two events' occurring simultaneously or in close proximity, we call it an accident. Therefore, how we explain coincidences depends on how we see the world. Is everything connected, so that events create resonances like ripples across a net? Or do things merely co-occur and we give meaning to these co-occurrences based on our belief system? Lieh-tzu's answer: It's all in how you think.”
― Liezi, Lieh-tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living

“Not to understand is profound; to understand is shallow. Not to understand is to be on the inside; to understand is to be on the outside.”
― Zhuangzi, The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu

“Man is the measure of all things”
― Protagoras

“Some people's taste is to an educated taste as is the visual impression received by a purblind eye to that of a normal eye. Where a normal eye will see something clearly articulated, a weak eye will see a blurred patch of colour.”
― Ludwig Wittgenstein, Culture and Value

“Physical space and time are the absolute stupidest aspects of the universe.”
― Jose Ortega y Gassett

“The mythic journey to the village of the pig people can be compared to the first trip into space and the view of Earth afforded thereby: the space trip does not actually distance us from ourselves as much as the mythic trip does. The journey from human reality to pig reality reprises an ancient 'reversal' in roles, from hunter to hunted, which has been an important wellspring of metaphoric thinking. The universal human value of being able to look back from a different place was noted by Wittgenstein, who also noted the difficulty of doing so - a dilemma of the human consciousness.”
― Michael R. Dove, Bitter Shade: The Ecological Challenge of Human Consciousness

“Embracing pain strengthens the will; embracing crying heals the soul; embracing melancholy deepens insight and perception; embracing boredom fosters creativity and imagination; embracing misery instills bravery; embracing ridiculousness preserves sanity; embracing chaos creates peace; embracing invisibility sets one free; embracing despair teaches acceptance of the inevitable; embracing pessimism prevents suicide by tempering hope; embracing meaninglessness cultivates patience and resilience; embracing purposelessness allows one to be out of the box; embracing rage generates an inexhaustible source of fuel; embracing loneliness unites with the self; embracing uncertainty gives a sense of excitement; embracing temporariness nurtures a great sense of humour; embracing lack of belonging liberates from illusions; embracing alienation unveils the very nature of things; embracing resignation soothes restlessness; embracing inability to embrace gives peace; embracing unhappiness brings true happiness...”
― Sov8840