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
In this treacherous world Nothing is the truth nor a lie. Everything depends on the color Of the crystal through which one sees it
Interpretation
What this quote means
Perception shapes reality; truths can vary based on perspective.
This quote by Pedro CalderΓ³n de la Barca suggests that the concepts of truth and falsehood are subjective and can differ depending on individual interpretation. The metaphor of color and crystal implies that our views, beliefs, and preconceptions filter and color our understanding of the world, making reality a personal construct rather than an absolute state.
Themes
PerceptionTruthSubjectivityRealityPerspective
In practice
Example use cases
In discussions about politics and social issues, when someone states their opinion, you might say this quote to highlight different perspectives.
More from Pedro Calderon De La Barca
All quotes βWhat 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.
Pedro Calderon De La BarcaRead
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
Similar quotes
There are, above all, times in which the human reality, always mobile, accelerates, and bursts into vertiginous speeds. Our time is such a one, for it is made of descent and fall.
Jose Ortega Y GassetRead
For I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand. For I believe this: unless I believe, I will not understand.
Anselm Of CanterburyRead
As bronze may be much beautified by lying in the dark damp soil, so men who fade in dust of warfare fade fairer, and sorrow blooms their soul.
Wilfred OwenRead
There are five dark matters and five lamps. Love of this world is darkness, and the fear of Allaah is its lamp. Sin is darkness, and its lamp is repentance. The grave is darkness, and its lamp is 'none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allaah.' The hereafter is darkness, and its lamp is the good deed. The Siraat is darkness, and its lamp is certainty of faith.
Abu BakrRead
What if we choose not to do the things we are supposed to do? The principal gain is a sense of an authentic act - and an authentic life. It may be a short one, but it is an authentic one, and that's a lot better than those short lives full of boredom. The principal loss is security. Another is respect from the community. But you gain the respect of another community, the one that is worth having the respect of.
Joseph CampbellRead
We live in an age rather skeptical of truth, of its existence." There is a "tendency to believe that nothing is definitive, and think that the truth is given by consent or by what we want. The question arises: does "the" truth really exist? What is "the" truth? Can we know it? Can we find it?
Pope FrancisRead