When I learnt to write I became my own master, I became very strong, and that strength is with me to this very day.
V. S. NaipaulRead
It is wrong to have an ideal view of the world. That's where the mischief starts. That's where everything starts unravelling.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Holding an ideal view of the world can lead to misunderstanding and chaos in reality.
V. S. Naipaul suggests that having an idealistic perspective on life can create false expectations and lead to disappointment. When we fail to recognize the complexities and imperfections of the real world, we set ourselves up for misfortune, as our idealism can unravel our understanding and interactions with others.
Themes
IdealismRealityExpectationsMisunderstandingPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on personal beliefs, one could use this quote to highlight the dangers of idealism.
More from V. S. Naipaul
All quotes βIf you decide to move to another country and to live within its laws you don't express your disregard for the essence of the culture. It's a form of aggression.
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One must always try to see the truth of a situation - it makes things universal.
V. S. NaipaulRead
His ignorance seemed to widen with everything he read.
V. S. NaipaulRead
I think when you see so many Hindu temples of the 10th century or earlier disfigured, defaced, you realise that something terrible happened. I feel the civilisation of that closed world was mortally wounded by those invasions the old world is destroyed. That has to be understood. Ancient Hindu India was destroyed.
V. S. NaipaulRead
All the things that were read to me by my father were stories about things becoming all right.
V. S. NaipaulRead
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