QuoteProject
Let Pascal say that man is a thinking reed. He is wrong; man is a thinking erratum. Each period in life is a new edition that corrects the preceding one and that in turn will be corrected by the next, until publication of the definitive edition, which the publisher donates to the worms.
Machado De Assis
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Life is an ongoing process of learning and correction, ultimately leading to mortality.

This quote emphasizes the idea that human existence is a continuous journey of thought and growth, where each stage of life serves as an opportunity to correct past mistakes and learn from experiences. It suggests that life is like a book with multiple editions, each reflecting our evolution, yet ultimately leading to a conclusion that reminds us of our mortality.

Themes

LifeLearningGrowthMortalityCorrection

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a graduation speech to inspire students about the journey of learning ahead.

More from Machado De Assis

In ordinary life, the action of a third party does not free the contractor from an obligation; but the advantage of making a contract with heaven is that intentions are valid currency.
Machado De AssisRead
There is nothing in the world so monstrously vast as our indifference.
Machado De AssisRead
Por que bonita, se coxa? Por que coxa, se bonita?
Machado De AssisRead
To him the stars seemed like so many musical notes affixed to the sky, just waiting for somebody to unfasten them. Someday the sky would be emptied, but by then the earth would be a constellation of musical scores
Machado De AssisRead

Similar quotes

Just as none of us is outside or beyond geography, none of us is completely free from the struggle over geography. That struggle is complex and interesting because it is not only about soldiers and cannons but also about ideas, about forms, about images and imaginings.
Edward SaidRead
When people are deeply affected by the Word, they tell it to other people.
Dietrich BonhoefferRead
You know, that might be the answer - to act boastfully about something we ought to be ashamed of. That's a trick that never seems to fail.
Joseph HellerRead
The Bible says that God has a reason for keeping us here; if He didn't, He would take us to Heaven far sooner.
Billy GrahamRead
I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth. If two or three persons should come with a high spiritual aim and with great powers, the world would fall into their hands like a ripe peach.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRead
...nothing on earth can stop man from feeling himself born for liberty. Never, whatever may happen, can he accept servitude; for he is a thinking creature.
Simone WeilRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.