And yet, and yet, in these our ghostly lives, Half night, half day, half sleeping, half awake, How if our waking life, like that of sleep, Be all a dream in that eternal life To which we wake not till we sleep in death
Pedro Calderon De La BarcaRead
What is life? A madness. What is life? An illusion, a shadow, a story. And the greatest good is little enough: for all life is a dream, and dreams themselves are only dreams.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the ephemeral and illusory nature of life and reality, suggesting that life is akin to a dream.
In this quote, Pedro Calderon De La Barca contemplates the nature of existence by asserting that life is filled with madness, illusions, and shadows. He emphasizes the idea that life is not as concrete as it seems, being more like a story or a dream, which invites reflection on the deeper meaning of our experiences and the transient nature of reality itself. By stating that 'the greatest good is little enough,' he suggests that even our highest achievements are small in the grand scheme of existence, mirroring the fleeting quality of dreams.
Themes
LifeDreamIllusionPhilosophyExistenceReality
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker at a philosophy conference might use this quote to illustrate the theme of existentialism.
More from Pedro Calderon De La Barca
All quotes →But whether it be dream or truth, to do well is what matters. If it be truth, for truth's sake. If not, then to gain friends for the time when we awaken.
Pedro Calderon De La BarcaRead
Tis not where we lie but whence we fell; the loss of Heaven's the greatest pain in Hell.
Pedro Calderon De La BarcaRead
Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.
Pedro Calderon De La BarcaRead
In this treacherous world Nothing is the truth nor a lie. Everything depends on the color Of the crystal through which one sees it
Pedro Calderon De La BarcaRead
Similar quotes
There is nothing absurd or impracticable in the idea of a league or alliance between independent nations for certain defined purposes precisely stated in a treaty regulating all the details of time, place, circumstance, and quantity; leaving nothing to future discretion; and depending for its execution on the good faith of the parties.
Alexander HamiltonRead
In thinking about religion and society in the 21st century, we should broaden the conversation about faith from doctrinal debates to the larger question of how it might inspire us to strengthen the bonds of belonging that redeem us from our solitude, helping us to construct together a gracious and generous social order.
Jonathan SacksRead
What can this world offer comparable with that insight into spiritual things, that keen faith, that heavenly peace, that high sanctity, that everlasting righteousness, that hope of glory, which they have, who in sincerity love and follow our Lord Jesus Christ?
John Henry NewmanRead
[T]ruth is considered profane, and only illusion is sacred
Ludwig FeuerbachRead
The value of a man can only be measured with regard to other men.
Friedrich NietzscheRead
If evil is inevitable, how are the wicked accountable? Nay, why do we call men wicked at all? Evil is inevitable, but is also remediable.
Horace MannRead