If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
Man has to awaken to wonder - and so perhaps do peoples. Science is a way of sending him to sleep again.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that wonder and curiosity are essential for human experience, but science can also lead us to lose that sense of wonder.
Ludwig Wittgenstein emphasizes the importance of awakening to a sense of wonder about the world, arguing that this awakening is not only essential for individuals but also for societies. He warns, however, that science—while valuable—can sometimes dull our sense of amazement and replace it with mere factual knowledge, leading to a form of intellectual sleepiness where we lose sight of the awe that originally inspires inquiry.
Themes
WonderScienceCuriosityAwakeningPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on the importance of creativity in education.
More from Ludwig Wittgenstein
All quotes →One cannot guess how a word functions. One has to look at its use and learn from that. But the difficulty is to remove the prejudice which stands in the way of doing this. It is not a stupid prejudice.
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No one likes having offended another person; hence everyone feels so much better if the other person doesn't show he's been offended. Nobody likes being confronted by a wounded spaniel. Remember that. It is much easier patiently - and tolerantly - to avoid the person you have injured than to approach him as a friend. You need courage for that.
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It's impossible for me to say one word about all that music has meant to me in my life. How, then, can I hope to be understood?
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Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
My day passes between logic, whistling, going for walks, and being depressed. I wish to God that I were more intelligent and everything would finally become clear to me - or else that I needn't live much longer.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
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