When the body sinks into death, the essence of man is revealed. Man is a knot, a web, a mesh into which relationships are tied. Only those relationships matter. The body is an old crock that nobody will miss. I have never known a man to think of himself when dying. Never.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of relationships over physical existence.
Antoine De Saint-Exupery reflects on the nature of human existence by suggesting that when faced with death, it is the connections we have made with others that define us, rather than our physical bodies. He likens human life to a complex web of relationships, highlighting that in our final moments, we think not of ourselves but of those we have bonded with throughout our lives. Ultimately, he suggests that the body is merely a vessel, while our essence is found in the ties we create with others.
In practice
In a eulogy reflecting on a friend's life, this quote can highlight the value of the relationships built.
Grown-ups love figures... When you tell them you've made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies? " Instead they demand "How old is he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make? " Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.
Attitude is a paintbrush. It colors everything!
Water, thou hast no taste, no color, no odor; canst not be defined, art relished while ever mysterious. Not necessary to life, but rather life itself, thou fillest us with a gratification that exceeds the delight of the senses.
In those days, I didn't understand anything. I should have judged her according to her actions, not her words. She perfumed my planet and lit up my life. I should never have run away! I ought to have realized the tenderness underlying her silly pretensions. Flowers are so contadictory! But I was too young to know how to love her.
When a mystery is too overpowering, one dare not disobey.
Man is a knot into which relationships are tied.
And to say that society ought to be governed by the opinion of the wisest and best, though true, is useless. Whose opinion is to decide who are the wisest and best?
Detestation of the high is the involuntary homage of the low.
If a man is not good, what has he to do with the rules of propriety? If he is not good, what has he to do with music?
It is the basic, metaphysical fact of man's nature -- the connection between his survival and his use of reason -- that capitalism recognizes and protects.
The flexibility we gain in asana is the living symbol of the suppleness we gain in relation to life’s problems and challenges.
I would rather be adorned by beauty of character than jewels. Jewels are the gift of fortune, while character comes from within.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.