The way to see what looks good and understand the reasons it looks good, and to be at one with this goodness as the work proceeds, is to cultivate an inner quietness, a peace of mind so that goodness can shine through.
Robert M. PirsigRead
It is a puzzling thing. The truth knocks on the door and you say, 'Go away, I'm looking for the truth,' and so it goes away. Puzzling.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the irony of seeking truth while rejecting it when it confronts us.
Robert M. Pirsig's quote reflects the human tendency to overlook or deny the truths that present themselves in our lives. We often engage in a search for truth, yet when it arrives, we may be resistant or dismissive, focusing instead on our own perceptions and desires. This paradox showcases the struggle between the objective reality of truth and our subjective interpretations of it.
Themes
TruthIronyPerceptionRealityPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a philosophical discussion about the nature of truth.
More from Robert M. Pirsig
All quotes βWhen analytic thought, the knife, is applied to experience, something is always killed in the process.
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The Buddha resides as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he does at the top of a mountain.
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It's better not to see than to see wrongly.
Robert M. PirsigRead
The truth knocks on the door and you say, go away, I'm looking for the truth, and it goes away. Puzzling.
Robert M. PirsigRead
You want to know how to paint a perfect painting? It's easy. Make yourself perfect and then just paint naturally.
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