Sin, he reflected, is not what it is usually thought to be; it is not to steal and tell lies. Sin is for one man to walk brutally over the life of another and to be quite oblivious of the wounds he has left behind.
Shusaku EndoRead
A person never knows their own true face. Everybody thinks that the phoney, posed social mask they wear is their real face.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that individuals often hide their true selves behind a facade that they present to the world.
Shusaku Endo's quote explores the idea that people often confuse their social personas with their true identities. It emphasizes the discord between how individuals present themselves publicly and their authentic selves, suggesting a deeper philosophical inquiry into self-awareness and genuine existence. Ultimately, it invites reflection on the masks we wear and the importance of understanding our true selves beneath societal expectations and roles.
Themes
IdentitySelfMaskPhilosophyTruth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about authenticity in relationships.
More from Shusaku Endo
All quotes βOver the years I have forged intimate familial ties with these characters, who are reflections of a portion of myself. Consequently, even a character who appeared only once in a short story waits now in the wings, concealed by the curtain, for his next appearance on-stage. Not one of them has ever broken free of his familial ties with me and disappeared for ever - at least, not within the confines of my heart.
Shusaku EndoRead
Similar quotes
As for begging, it is safer to beg than to take, but it is finer to take than to beg
Oscar WildeRead
We've had a debate about immigration in New Zealand for some time. Now what we're trying to champion in that conversation is a recognition that New Zealand has been built off immigration. I myself am a third-generation New Zealander.
Jacinda ArdernRead
We get into the habit of living before acquiring the habit of thinking. In that race which daily hastens us towards death, the body maintains its irreparable lead.
Albert CamusRead
The permanent temptation of life is to confuse dreams with reality. The permanent defeat of life comes when dreams are surrendered to reality.
James A. MichenerRead
I do not think our successes can compete with those of Lourdes. There are so many more people who believe in the miracles of the Blessed Virgin than in the existence of the unconscious.
Sigmund FreudRead
The idea of a superior or inferior race is a myth that has been completely refuted by anthropological evidence.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read