The white fathers told us: I think, therefore I am. The black goddess within each of us - the poet - whispers in our dreams: I feel, therefore I can be free.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of emotions in the quest for freedom and self-identity.
Audre Lorde’s quote contrasts two philosophical perspectives: the rational thought represented by 'I think, therefore I am,' and the emotional wisdom expressed in 'I feel, therefore I can be free.' It highlights the significance of feeling and intuition in understanding oneself and achieving true freedom, suggesting that human experiences encompass more than just rational thought; they involve deep emotional awareness and connection to one's inner self.
In practice
In a speech about mental health, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of emotional well-being.
The fact that we are here and that I speak these words is an attempt to break that silence and bridge some of those differences between us, for it is not difference which immobilizes us, but silence. And there are so many silences to be broken.
There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.
There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt.
I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.
I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.
There's always someone asking you to underline one piece of yourself - whether it's Black, woman, mother, dyke, teacher, etc. - because that's the piece that they need to key in to. They want to dismiss everything else.
Each of our passions, even love, has a stomach that must not be overloaded. We must in everything write the word 'finis' in time; we must restrain ourselves, when it becomes urgent; we must draw the bolt on the appetite, play a fantasia on the violin, then break the strings with our own hand. The Wise man is he who knows when and how to stop.
It is so powerful when we can leave behind our ordinary identities, no longer think of ourselves primarily as a conductor, or writer, or salesclerk, and go to a supportive environment to deeply immerse in meditation practice.
When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.
Genuine wisdom is usually conspicuous through modesty and silence.
It is a modern tragedy that despair has so many spokesmen, and hope so few.
We see it in the body, that if you just give the body enough rest and comfort, it has remarkable self-healing capacities. Well, so does the spirit.
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