The gods are fugitive guests of literature.
Roberto CalassoRead
We establish a connection with the unknown through the act of giving something and, paradoxically, the act of destroying something. That is what is behind sacrifice. What you offer and what you destroy, it is that surplus which is life itself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the dual nature of sacrifice as both giving and destroying, which connects us to the essence of life.
Roberto Calasso's quote explores the profound human experience of sacrifice, suggesting that by giving something up or destroying something, we form a connection with the unknown aspects of existence. This dual act of offering and destruction reveals a deeper layer of life, representing a surplus that transcends mere existence, allowing us to touch and understand the complexities of our nature and the world around us.
Themes
SacrificeGivingDestroyingLifeConnectionUnknown
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about charity and generosity, this quote highlights the importance of sacrifice in establishing connections.
More from Roberto Calasso
All quotes →Myth is never a single story. It is always a tree with many branches.
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Whatever else it might be, the divine is certainly the thing that imposes with maximum intensity the sensation of being alive.
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Stories never live alone; They are the branches of a family that we have to trace back, and forward.
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The monster does not need the hero. it is the hero who needs him for his very existence. When the hero confronts the monster, he has yet neither power nor knowledge, the monster is his secret father who will invest him with a power and knowledge that can belong to one man only, and that only the monster can give.
Roberto CalassoRead
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