The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind.
ParacelsusRead
Truly it has been said that there is nothing new under the sun, _x000D_ for knowledge is revealed and is submerged again, even as a nation rises and falls. _x000D_ Here is a system, tested throughout the ages, but lost again and again by ignorance or prejudice, _x000D_ in the same way that great nations have risen and fallen _x000D_ and been lost to history beneath the desert sands and in the ocean depths.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the cyclical nature of knowledge and civilization, emphasizing that what is discovered can easily be forgotten.
Paracelsus highlights the idea that knowledge and civilizations go through cycles of discovery and loss. As history shows, societies can rise to great heights only to fall into obscurity due to ignorance or societal prejudice, mirroring how knowledge can be revealed only to be lost again. This underscores the importance of recognizing and valuing knowledge, lest it fall into the depths of forgetfulness, akin to lost nations buried under sands and seas.
Themes
KnowledgeHistoryIgnoranceCivilizationCycles
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of education, one might say, 'Truly it has been said that there is nothing new under the sun, emphasizing the need to learn from our past.'
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It should be forbidden and severely punished to remove cancer by cutting, burning, cautery, and other fiendish tortures. It is from nature that the disease comes, and from nature comes the cure, not from physicians.
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Life is like music, it must be composed by ear, feeling and instinct, not by rule. Nevertheless one had better know the rules, for they sometimes guide in doubtful cases, though not often.
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