The hearing that is only in the ears is one thing. The hearing of the understanding is another. But the hearing of the spirit is not limited to any one faculty to the ear, or to the mind.
ZhuangziRead
He who pursues fame at the risk of losing his self is not a scholar.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Pursuing fame can lead to losing one's true identity and significance.
This quote suggests that a genuine scholar values authenticity and self-awareness over the pursuit of fame and recognition. It implies that seeking fame can distract individuals from their true purpose and knowledge, ultimately rendering them less scholarly and true to themselves.
Themes
FameSelfIdentityScholarAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in a lecture about the importance of authenticity in academic pursuits.
More from Zhuangzi
All quotes βEither in conflict with others or in harmony with them, we go through life like a runaway horse, unable to stop.
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When people do not ignore what they should ignore, but ignore what they should not ignore, this is known as ignorance.
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The true man of the past waited upon Heaven when dealing with people and did not wait upon people when dealing with Heaven.
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The mind remains undetermined in the great Void. Here the highest knowledge is unbounded. That which gives things their thusness cannot be delimited by things. So when we speak of 'limits', we remain confined to limited things. The limit of the unlimited is called 'fullness.' The limitlessness of the limited is called 'emptiness.' Tao is the source of both. But it is itself neither fullness nor emptiness
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All the fish needs is to get lost in the water. All man needs is to get lost in Tao.
ZhuangziRead
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