The Sufi way is through knowledge and practice, not through intellect and talk.
Idries ShahRead
Banality is like boredom: bored people are boring people, people who think that things are banal are themselves banal. Interesting people can find something interesting in all things.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Boredom and banality stem from one's perspective; interesting people derive value from all experiences.
Idries Shah's quote suggests that the quality of one's experiences is influenced by their attitude. Those who perceive the world as boring or banal reflect that dullness within themselves, while truly interesting individuals can extract fascination from any situation. This highlights the importance of an open and curious mindset in enriching one's life.
Themes
BoredomBanalityPerspectiveCuriosityInteresting
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about living an enriched life, this quote can remind us to change our perspective.
More from Idries Shah
All quotes βTo 'see both sides' of a problem is the surest way to prevent its complete solution. Because there are always more than two sides.
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You have not forgotten to remember; You have remembered to forget. But people can forget to forget. That is just as important as remembering to remember - and generally more practical.
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Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. What is always needed in any aim is right effort, right time, right people, right materials.
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To be obsessed by the idea of freedom, for instance, is itself a form of slavery. Such people are in the chains of the hope of freedom, and are therefore able to do little else than struggle with them.
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The proverb says that 'The answer to a fool is silence'. Observation, however, indicates that almost any other answer will have the same effect in the long run.
Idries ShahRead
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