Food, one assumes, provides nourishment; but Americans eat it fully aware that small amounts of poison have been added to improve its appearance and delay its putrefaction.
John CageRead
Our intention is to affirm this life, not to bring order out of chaos, nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply to wake up to the very life we're living, which is so excellent once one gets one's mind and desires out of its way and lets it act of it's own accord.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of fully experiencing life as it is without trying to impose order or changes.
John Cage's quote encourages us to embrace life in its natural state rather than seeking to control or improve it. It suggests that true excellence in life comes from allowing ourselves to be present and letting go of our mental distractions and desires, which often cloud our experience. By affirming our existence without judgement or interference, we can appreciate the beauty of the life we are living.
Themes
LifeMindfulnessPresenceAcceptanceNaturalAwareness
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker in a mindfulness workshop might use this quote to illustrate the concept of living in the moment.
More from John Cage
All quotes →Which is more musical: a truck passing by a factory or a truck passing by a music school?
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There was a German philosopher who is very well known, his name was Immanuel Kant, and he said there are two things that don’t have to mean anything, one is music and the other is laughter. Don’t have to mean anything that is, in order to give us deep pleasure.
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I remember loving sound before I ever took a music lesson. And so we make our lives by what we love.
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I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones.
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People who aren't artists often feel that artists are inspired. But if you work at your art you don't have time to be inspired.
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