For this blog there are two parts. You must post twice but can do so in any combination.
First, you can follow this link and select a quote from the page to discuss as relevent to Romanticism, Thoreau, and yourselves. http://www.whale.to/vaccine/quotes4.htm
Or you can answer this: Which of the maxims would be best to live by? Explain.
or you can do both- Post by 27th of November- 11:59pm
First, you can follow this link and select a quote from the page to discuss as relevent to Romanticism, Thoreau, and yourselves. http://www.whale.to/vaccine/quotes4.htm
Or you can answer this: Which of the maxims would be best to live by? Explain.
or you can do both- Post by 27th of November- 11:59pm
Posts
62 comments:
"Whatever satisfies the soul is truth." -Walt Whitman, is the quote that goes best with Romanticism, Thoreau, and me I think. Romanticism is all about being an individual and doing what you believe is right. Thoreau always talked about this, too. He stuck by anyone who was being an individual or standing up to what they believe in. He thought slavery was one of the most evil sins, because it took away a person's freedom to think and do things for themselves. We all have our opinions and thoughts about what truth really is. It all depends on what you think or feel is right in your heart and "soul." I also believe that people view truth in a number of ways, and my view in truth could be different another person. This quote immediately caught my eye, which is why I think it goes along best with the Romanticism age, and Thoreau's beliefs.
"A foolish faith in authority is the worst enemy of truth." -- Albert Einstein, letter to a friend, 1901
The quote is very self explanatory with it's word choice. The "authority" can refer to the actual authority(government and such) and also the higher standards that society puts on people. It sets rules and barriers that force humans to be "humane" according to a higher power, also limiting ourselves in general to act and be an individual. Truth cannot be found through means of authority and set accepted conduct. Romanticism and Thoreau as well both stressed to be an individual and to strive your own path and do what you feel is right, and develop imaginations going beyond a normal mindset and finding a simpler lifestyle, as Thoreau was able to accomplish. Romanticism also mostly pertained to emotions, to feel alive, to feel amazed, to feel actual senses. Though they aren't completely related, they both somewhat revolve around the same point of an individual's feelings, Romanticism relating to emotions, rather than the quote stating that faith in authority is foolish. Thoreau believed that authority should not be placed if it infringed given humans rights, a disturbance to life itself as whole. He also wanted to live a life a cynicism, simplistic through unique thoughts yet with such a simple meaning, giving simple living a chance and not relying on others, but rather living life straight forward and how you picture it to be, without public opinion or outside influence by groups or authority. To me, I would agree along with a Thoreau-esque point of life and view. I'm not as highly influenced to my surroundings, and enjoy thinking and living my life my own way, but following what most would consider "right" and "correct". I mean, as direct as this sounds, you're the only you, and following a set life isn't the real truth to yourself.
"Live truth instead of professing it." ---Elbert Hubbard
I believe that this is the best maxim to live by. I think that people lose sight of their own values by preaching to others. They focus on what OTHERS believe in, what OTHERS do, and what OTHERS think about issues. By doing this, they are too busy evaluating their peers and not themselves, so they lose sight of living what they believe in since they're worried about what everyone else is doing. By focusing on yourself, you can make your life easier and much more enjoyable.
'Nobody is going to pour truth into your brain. It’s something you have to find out for yourself.' -----Noam Chomsky I feel that this is a good quote to live by. It shows how you should learn by experience. It's true that no one is going to just give you all the truths about life, you have to decipher some of them on your own. You can be guided or given advice, but in order to get the true meaning of a situation, you should experience it. For example, when you see a picture of the Grand Canyon and see the breath-taking images, can get a taste of what it is like to be there. Yet, until you actually go there and find it out for yourself, that's when you truly appreciate things.
"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." -Galileo Galilei
I believe that this is an important quote to follow in life. We should try to find truth out for ourselves because that will be the most important truth. We shouldn't just wait for everyone else to find out the truth and just learn it from them. You will understand what they're saying but you will most likely not benefit from it. You need to find it for yourself. It will have a larger effect on your life because the truth that you find out yourself will affect mainly you. We should not go through life without finding out any type of truth.
“The exact contrary of what is generally believed is often the truth. ” - Jean de la Bruyère
I think that this is a good maxim to live by. Mainly because, like we discussed in class, the truth is different for everyone. Therefore, one person's truth is the opposite of another's. This also goes to show that life is full of unexpectedness. But I think that that unexpectedness is what makes life so fun. If things didn't catch you by surprise, how would life be?
'Truth is more important than public belief, and any man who feels the need to adjust his knowledge so as to receive public approval is a man unworthy of trust.'--Toltec motto. This is a true statement. This also relates to Romanticism because the basis of Romanticism is on trusting your intuition. You should do what you believe is the best thing to do. In this quote, you don't have to adjust your knowledge just because you want to sound like what the majority are saying. If this happens, the Toltec motto says that you are unworthy of trust and that is true. Man shouldn't just go along with what everyone else is doing all the time so that there would be no conflict. Your knowledge is just as good as society's knowledge. This quote can also relate to anyone who is afraid to say what they feel about a topic and by reading this quote, it shows you to stand by your beliefs.
“Truth is more important than public belief, and any man who feels the need to adjust his knowledge so as to receive public approval is a man unworthy of trust.”--Toltec motto
I think that this maxim is an excellent one to live by because it represents valuable principles that we all know, but few follow consistently or truly understand. Truth should always be held in higher esteem than the public’s general opinion. Nobody should have to give up what is true just because others disapprove of it. The ones who disapprove may not have found truth yet, but they probably have convinced themselves that they have, and so they reject all new and different ideas out of hand, without even considering that they may be true. One shouldn’t have to change what one believes in just to fit in with everyone else, and anyone who does is not worthy of others' trust. If someone changes their mind just because others don’t approve of something they feel or think what stops them from letting others change them in any other area? Also, if you know the truth and others try to suppress your words or your thoughts, this quote encourages you to stay strong for what you believe, which I whole-heartedly agree with. However, you should be careful of what you are sure of, and be certain that what you are supporting is the truth. In the same light, one should never be overconfident in one’s beliefs. In other words, be open to changing your mind for the right reasons, but never deny yourself the truth for the wrong reasons.
Live truth instead of professing it. ---Elbert Hubbard
I believe that this is a great quote to live by because it is telling you to live your life through the truth of your actions instead of just telling people about it. I think that if you are always true to yourself and others it will rub off on the people around you. Being true all of the time speaks for itself. It shows that you are a good, trustworthy human being. If you just simply "live truth" others will admire it and want to live like that as well.
Live truth instead of professing it. ---Elbert Hubbard
I find this quote to be probably one of the simplest, but one of the best, maxims to live by. And I don't mean it just in regards to truth, but advice, actions, and other things as well. We should first look at ourselves before we even think about what is wrong with others. And by living the truth, you are whatever you say you are. By living the "truth", and not just professing it, you are not a hypocrite, which many people, although unintentionally or without knowing, become because they just say the "truth" instead of being it.
"Whatever satisfies the soul is truth." -Walt Whitman
This quote is relevent to Romanticism because it says to decidede what truth is to you. Romanticism, unlike previous times which were analytical and only had one answer, was very open ended and circled around the idea that there was not one solidy accepted "truth". This idea is also shared by Thoreau because he said that nothing is wrong as long as the person who did it thinks it is right. In addition, this quote is relevent to my own life, since what I accept to be "truth" is what I prefer and suits me, while it's different for other people.
"The truth may hurt for awhile - and usually does -But it heals forever - without fail"
I think that this is the best maxim to live by because, it shows what human nature is all about. We all want to know the truth, but when the truth does not benefit us or we do not like it, it hurts. It hurts for awhile because sometimes we do not always like it. However, you heal without fail because later on you accept the truth and that lasts with you forever. You will never fail to heal because eventually you have to accept the truth.
-Abby W.
"He (Krishnamurti) said he did not want to belong to any organization of a spiritual kind, because such an organization becomes a weakness, a bondage, and cripples the individual. He said that he did not want any followers or disciples, because the moment you follow someone you cease to follow Truth. He said that no one holds the key to Truth, that key is your own self, and in the purification and incorruptibility of that self alone."---Asit Chandmal (one Thousand Suns) Romanticists and Thoreau both believed in the more personal form of religion, and disagreed with organized religions. They shared the belief, as in this quote, that the organization is a weakness, and a bondage. Most of their objection was in that they felt that a relationship with a god should be direct, not secondary as it is in most large religious groups. Some religions certainly encourage more personal relationships with their god(s) than others, but the romantic ideal was still a very direct and personal faith. Also, the second part of this quote says that in becoming a follower, you cease to follow truth. I think that another quote on the list said that truth cannot be fed to you; you have to find it for yourself. This quote from Asit Chandmal intimates the same theory, that truth is a journey you undertake alone. People have to find the truth for themselves, and by following someone else, they give up their right to not only to find it, but to know and understand it well. Anything that you follow may not always be right, and making their mistakes your own is foolish. Make your own mistakes, as everyone who searches eventually will. A group to follow, a god to worship, this quote is saying, is not a key to truth. Simply following them is giving up the right to find your own truth, and to decide for yourself what is right and good, and to make your own set of principles and values. The key to truth is your own self because everyone’s truth is different, as Thoreau learned and then taught us. Different perspectives and opinions change what people believe, and so it changes what is true to them, but all are true, and all are unique. Even within group religions, or any other group, really, everyone won’t always agree on every topic, especially controversial ones. This relates to me because I was raised into a religion, but chose not to follow it simply because it was the only one I was raised to understand and agree with. I felt that it limited my personal opinions because I was expected to agree with things that the church advocates and that I don’t necessarily agree with. I like to think I am more open to the supernatural because of my exposure to religion, and may someday begin to believe again, but whatever I choose it will be my choice, and no one else’s.
"The truth may hurt for awhile - and usually does -But it heals forever - without fail"-Unknown
I think the meaning of this quote means that when you get rid of everything that isn't important, you will see the real you. But in the process of getting rid of everything that you may love will hurt but after awhile, you will be happy you did because you will have found the deeper insight.
This is relevent to Romanticism because in the study of Romanticism, people are suppose to work towards a simplier life and learn things from your senses rather than logic. This is also relevent to Thoreau because his big ideas were based on being simple rather than being attached to things that won't matter to you in the long run.
This quote somewhat relates to me because in my life, there has been numerous truths that have been reveiled to me as i grow up and at first it may hurt you, but as you get a better understanding of your surroundings your hurt starts to heal.
Live truth instead of professing it. - Elbert Hubbard
This quote is also a maxim but I will respond to it as just a quote.
Many people say wise things but do not live by thier wise words. Romanticism shows us that the truth is lived throughout nature all around us. We just have to discover the truth hidden in plain sight.
Thoreau found the truth when he isolated himself from the world. He professed about the truth he found, in his journal. He also lived by those words. He hoped that many people would follow his example so that they may live a true life too.
My sister and I are opposites. We fight a lot and try to give each other advice, but the advice we give is not what we follow. One of us just want the other to follow the advice that was given. To the one that has given the advice, life is made a whole lot easier when the other one follows the advice.
"The truth may hurt for awhile - and usually does -But it heals forever - without fail"
I think this is a quote than everyone can connect to and should listen to in life. Everyone will get hurt by truth at some point in their life, if not every day. Truth hurts when it is something that you dont want to hear. However, because it hurts, you will probably be thinking about this truth for a while. This will cause it to heal you. You will accept the truth and let it benefit you. We shouldn't let truth destroy us when it hurts. We need to let it make us stronger, no matter how much it hurts or how long it takes. Let the truth bring out the real you even if that involves hurt.
“The terrible thing about the quest for truth is that you find it.”
-Remy de Gourmont
I like this quote because in life we find things out that we wish we would never know. Eventually, truth will find you no matter what you do to escape from it. From personal experiences, there have been truths I've been yearning to find out, but never have. This just goes to show us that whatever we are supposed to find out will come to us at the proper time. While on the other hand,I found out things I wish I've never found out. This shows us that it was supposed to happen like that so in the future knowing the truth will help in your favor. I think that everyone wants to know something to some extent.
I would think that the maxim by Toltec motto is one of the best of the maxims to live by. It states " Truth is more important than public belief, and any man who feels the need to adjust his knowledge so as to receive public approval is a man unworthy of trust. This is a very powerful maxim that that demonstrates the power and meaning of truth.
My interpretation of this maxim is that when we know the truth and we have accepted it, it should be good enough for us unless something else deliberately questions the validity of that truth. People who feel necessity to "adjust their knowledge so as to receive public approval" and change their beliefs because everyone doesn't agree with it may not be trustworthy because who knows when that truth had changed in their mind. That person took the truth and butchered it to fit their own or others liking, which destroys the authenticity and power of the truth. This maxim reinforces the fact that we should in all conscious not leave what we believe in to follow the tides of our society or peers. This quote reminds me of the quote by Walt Whitman in which he associates imitation with suicide. By leaving our own thoughts, beliefs, and ideas to copy others we are losing our selves. This quote reminds us that we should strive to keep our beliefs and ideas with us and not to try and be complete conformists. This is a great quote to live by with acknowledging the fact that what we believe isn't always exactly true, and we should listen to the questions that question to validity of that truth.
"Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it." --Andre Gide
This is another great quote to choose to live by. In our discussions in class we have concluded that truth doesn't exist. There are so many different points of views and ways of thinking in the world today, that having one single true statement is nearly impossible. You should trust those who have not found truth, and doubt those who have because if truth doesnt exist, how can someone find it?
'Nobody is going to pour truth into your brain. It’s something you have to find out for yourself.' -----Noam Chomsky
I agree with Ally on this quote. I think that this would be a good maxim to live by because it's true, that we need to find truth ourselves. People may give you answers in life, but in order for you to know the truth you have to find it yourself. For instance, if you are given the answer to a complicated equation, you know the answer, but to understand it truthfully, you have to figure it out yourself. It's the same thing with finding your tue self or your personality, because we can be told or molded to be like people, but in order to figure out your true self, you must find out yourself.
-Abby W.
"Nobody is going to pour truth into your brain. It's something you have to find for yourself."--Noam Chomsky
I believe this quote greatly expresses Henry Thoreau's idea of experiencing and gaining knowledge yourself. As we have read, Thoreau studied nature and found the truth to society and nature itself by living in an atmosphere surrounded by it[nature]. In this quote, Chomsky is stating that truth isn't just given, but is something that needs time to look for and to go in depth with. There is more meaning when you find the truth yourself and therefore has more purpose to you and your mind.
The majority consists of fools, utter fools. Beware of the majority. If so many people are following, that is enough a proof that something is wrong. Truth happens to individuals, not to crowds. From Osho International Foundation
I really like this quote's relation to Thoreau and Romanticism. Personally, there are some things that make this statement seem a bit ridiculous, but that may just be overanalysis. For example, if the majority of people feel that murder is wrong, this quote says that essentially we are all wrong and therefore the converse of all accepted "truths" is the actual truth.
However, I am straying from the question. This quote describes Thoreau's disdain at the masses for basically using peer psychology to arrive at truth. We are too quick to accept something just because everyone else does and usually what is accepted is incorrect (according to Thoreau). The Romantics believed that individuals must take on the quest to find truth, it is not a journey that everyone can take together. One must find their own truths and live by them, even if they are different than the truths of someone else.
"Whatever satisfies the soul is truth." -Walt Whitman
I'm going to discuss this quote in relation to Romanticism and Thoreau. You know I wonder, what Thoreau thought when he met his fellow romantics, because I know he met quite a few of them, such as Whitman and Emerson. Did he consider himself to be in the best of company, or was this company not enough for him?
Anyway, I wonder what Thoreau though of this quote. What if something that is not true satisfies the soul? Is a lie better than the real truth if it make you happy? I'm not exactly sure what Thoreau would think, for he lived believing that truth could be found in nature, and does nature ever lie?
I don't agree with this quote personally because I feel that you have to live with the truth, even if it may not make you happy. If we all just denied our problems, and lived a lie, would we ever get anywhere? In conclusion, I would say truth is truth and false is false, no matter what makes you happy.
"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." ----- Galileo Galilei
I think this quote is a good one to remember, as it reveals one of the more deceptive sides to truth (even though that does sound like an oxymoron): that is, just because truth is "absolute" does not mean it is obvious. Galilei was one of the first to question the long-held beliefs about the nature of the solar system and universe (he found that Jupiter had orbiting moons, and this fact pointed to a heliocentric version of the universe); and today this idea seems simple and obvious. Of course the earth orbits the sun; all the evidence points to this idea! But before Galileo's and other scientists' observations, all the evidence pointed in the other direction, that the sun orbited earth.
A larger part of what Galileo Galilei was saying was that you not only have to find truth, but convince others it is truth. He was forced to revoke his published statements by the church, whose claims were at that time presented as absolute truth, and yet he still believed them. Many other quotes pointed in this direction: that a lie coming from a "credible" source is more likely thought to be truth. It is those who have the will (and in many cases like his, the skill) to challenge these masquerading lies who must think of and apply this quote.
"Truth is more important than public belief, and any man who feels the need to adjust his knowledge so as to receive public approval is a man unworthy of trust." - Toltec motto
This maxim is right. Why do we need others' to say that what we do or how we think is true? Truth is something we find ourselves. If others are the ones to tell us what it is, then it's not truth. I think it's best to live by this. We shouldn't be afraid to think differently because other people might be unsatisfied by it. We should be able to think freely with our minds without being conscious about what the others might think about it. Also, if someone were to base their actions and thoughts just to satisfy the public, isn't that lying as well? How can I trust a man who can't even be his real self, but just a man that mirrors what the public wants?
I chose the same quote as Athena. "The majority consists of fools, utter fools. Beware of the majority. If so many people are following, that is enough a proof that something is wrong. Truth happens to individuals, not to crowds." ~Osho International Foundation I also believe this is very controversial. True, when the majority of people think murder is immoral, then we would consider it the truth. But I think what this quote is trying to say, is that merely following what everyone else is believing in and just going along with it is false. You're being false to yourself if you don't stop to think about it. What do you really believe is right? And if you believe what the crowd said was true because you looked deep within yourself, and not just because it's the popular thing to do, then it's truth. I think when the quote uses "following", it means when you repeat what has been done without taking a stance for yourself and leading your own path. Just because you believe in the same principles doesn't mean you're part of the majority. You are an individual with your own thoughts, and if they happen to be the same as others, then so be it. The point of the quote is to show that what you truely believe is right is the truth.
"Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth." -Ludwig Börne
I think that this quote largely resembles by what I think most people should follow. I think that too many people are engrossed in the unreal aspects of life, such as the importance of material things over family or religion, and therefore live in an illusion that the life they are living is complete. Once, if ever, they lose this illusion, they become wiser, because they realize that this is what they are really here for. This is finding the truth without looking for it, seeing as they look at the things they are neglecting, rather than missing, and discover truth from them. This is, in a sense, what Thoreau was doing. He did look for truth, but he also looked at his life when he subtracted all of the unnecessary things. He did this by going to Walden Pond, and realizing that he did not miss society, but rather had found that he learned more about himself, and his purpose, in solitude.
This represents Romanticism in the sense that it puts emphasis on the individual, and encourages them to find themselves and their value in the world.
Live truth instead of professing it. - Elbert Hubbard
This time I will use this as one of the maxims.
I think this is the best maxim to live by.If we all lived by the truth, there would be peace throughout the world. No wars or terrorist or dictators.
I could make myself a better person by living the truth. I would be a whole lot of a better sister if I lived by the truth. I would have a better conscience.
All I have to say is better, better, better. There is nothing else that could possibly occur if this maxim was to be lived out. All of the changes are optimistic.
"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."—Voltaire
What Voltaire is referring to through this quote is the way many of us look upon our lives. We look at all the little matters of life and search for happiness, truth and wisdom with great intent, thinking that hardships lie ahead and we must be prepared for them. Voltaire says that by analyzing life so much, we fail to see the humor in life and truly enjoy it while we can.
Many men relate truth with happiness. In a way, this philosophy of living life in this laid-back manner is truth since this is how we live with less stress and fully satisfied content.
-Natalia Z.
Live truth instead of professing it. ---Elbert Hubbard
The first time that I read the quotes, I really liked this one but didn't pick it because of its simple meaning. But perhaps that is a good thing.
Basically the quote means that everyone should live by their truths instead of trying to get others to live their truths. This quote is very meaningful even though it seems so obvious.
"Truth has to be repeated constantly, because Error also is being preached all the time, and not just by a few, but by the multitude. In the Press and Encyclopaedias, in Schools and Universities, everywhere Error holds sway, feeling happy and comfortable in the knowledge of having Majority on its side."
-Goethe.
I really enjoyed reading and interpreting this quote, for it really forced me to open my eyes. It's funny, because as young people, especially students thirsting for education, we turn and look to school and books and the internet for knowledge. Here, Goethe is stating that everywhere are mistakes and flaws, no matter how credible the source may be, no matter how many people agree with the idea, statement, theory, etc. Yeah, we listen to and believe the lectures and history we're taught, and the information through the books we read, but I don't think we question ideas as much as we should.
I also like the part of the quote which states: "everywhere Error holds sway, feeling happy and comfortable in the knowledge of having the majority on its side."
This is especially meaningful, because Goethe is referring to how even information or ideas containing errors or flaws are still easily accepted, simply because they have been accepted by the majority. Think about it, do we not all feel safe when we're part of a group; the saying "strength in numbers" directly relates to this idea. The majority belief will usually appeal to the consumer, before he/she can think differently.
Basically, I do believe this is a great maxim for the sole reason that it's eye-opening. This quote is somewhat similar to Athena's when it mentions the whole wretched idea of 'the majority' versus the individual. But inconclusion, I think most of us simply need to question more. Learn more for ourselves, by ourselves. Question even the simplest things in life; for it'll aid in opening our minds and eyes to things we believed we can't see.
"Whatever satisfies the soul is truth." -Walt Whitman
I think this is a great maxim to live by when it comes to truth. Live by your own opinions, and you live happily. You can't find truth in what other people tell you is true. You must decide for yourself. Whatever you feel is true, must be true. This quote is so important to live by because you won't be very happy with your life if you don't live the way you want to live, which is according to your personal truths. If you decide to live by another person's rules when you don't believe in their principles, when will you be happy? If you are forced to believe the way other peole believe when you didn't initially agree with them, wouldn't you be contradiciting yourself? Why do you think America had a revolution and broke off ties with Britain? We didn't like what the monarch believed was a rightful tax. We didn't like being thought of as a lesser kind of people because the Atlantic Ocean separated us. Britain wasn't rightly keeping us as a colony. When democracy was established, people had a little more freedom. As time went on, different people recieved more rights, and we were allowed to find our own truths. We are allowed to believe in any religion we want to. We have the right to make our own realities. Of course, you can't find a place on this Earth where you can perfectly live by all your truths, like with laws in the democracy you might not agree with, but at least you have the ability to live by the majority of your truths, so you can live contently.
"Nobody is going to pour truth into your brain. It's something you have to find for yourself."-Noam Chomsky
This quote by Chomsky is basically saying that only we, ourselves, can find truth. It's not as easy as someone telling you what it is. Thoreau believed that we can find truth. He believed that we have to gain it from our own abilities, without the thoughts of others interfering with our own. Finding truth takes time. If someone else were to pour "truth" into your brain, it wouldn't be "truth". It would be someone else's. This is why this is best to live by. We need to find our truth, not other's.
"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." Galileo Galilei
I thought this quote was relevent to Romanticism because part of Romanticism was thinking about things more than just what you see. You have to have deeper thoughts. What Galileo Galilei is saying is that you give thought to what it is that you're trying to prove true, which is going to be harder than just understanding something that was already proven true. This relates to how Thoreau thought because even though he observed nature, the things he wrote about were a lot deeper than just what he saw in nature. It was more difficult to write about the deeper meanings of nature than just the things he actually saw in nature. This quote relates to us because sometimes to get an answer we have to have deeper thoughts or think more (which is more difficult) than how we would want ot think. I guess what I'm basically trying to say is that Galileo Galilei was trying to tell us that sometimes you have to do the more difficult thing than what's the easiest do to. I'm not sure if that's right, but that's just what I got out of the quote.
"Whatever satisfies the soul is truth."-Walt Whitman. This quote is the very description of the entire period because of the fact that Romanticism is based upon finding truth in thought not logic and that the thoughts of each person were more important than the thoughts and laws of society. This is also very much like Thoreau because he believed that truth could be found by going into nature and thinking and thus looking inwardly for truth rather than that which we are told. i personally can connect to this quote because i think that the truth is not set in stone and final, but rather what you and your conscious believe to be true
Taylor
“The terrible thing about the quest for truth is that you find it.”
-Remy de Gourmont
I'm not sure if I'm going to explain this quote right either, but this is what I think it means...I think basically what Remy de Gourmont is trying to say is that what we find to be true isn't always what we want or wish was true. This is kind of relevent to Romanticism because it also requires you to think about what Remy de Gourmont is trying to say. During the Romantic Period, as I said before, people had deeper thoughts. I think you have to have deeper thoughts to get what this quote means. It's relevent to Thoreau because he too had deep thoughts. Like I said before, he wrote about more than just what he saw in nature, he wrote about the meanings of nature. This quote is relevent to us because again as I said before, we have to think deeper than we may want to.
'Nobody is going to pour truth into your brain. It’s something you have to find out for yourself.' -----Noam Chomsky
This quote is a great one to live by, because it goes along great with the idea that people have their own thoughts and beliefs in the matter of truth, and that they themselves should look for it inside themselves or through their experiences. It won't just magically pop into your head, it takes time to discover something as meaningful as that.
Live truth instead of professing it. ---Elbert Hubbard
This quote is one of my favorites. It points out that one must live their lives in honest ways, instead of only trying to preach it to others. Who's going to listen to an alcoholic when he/she tells another that drinking is bad. This quote reminds me of many other quotes like "Be the change you want to see in the world." I think that the point that the quote is trying to get across is that we should act according to what we believe is true,and not try and teach others what we cannot do for ourselves. The people that tell others that they are wrong and that claim that they know the truth and do not practice it are hypocrites. It is better to teach by example because we can better show the truth when the others see us living it. The truth has more credibility and is better accepted by those who are honest and refuse to be hypocrites.
btw happy thanksgiving:)
"Live truth instead of professing it."---Elbert Hubbard
I think this quote by Hubbard relates to Thoreau's idea of finding truth and living it. This quote is significant because it refers to the fact that you should live a life of truth rather than talking about it. If we promote truth through experience, maybe more people will follow and live a truthful life rather than being told about how to live truth and how they should live. Therefore, I believe that if we follow this maxim, maybe the world and the people will be easier to withstand and will have more of a purpose to it.
The quote "Nobody is going to pour truth into your brain. It’s something you have to find out for yourself," by Noam Chomsky is one of the best maxims to live by. I believe that it is so true. You can't just expect to sit around and have people tell you about life. You need to learn for yourself, if you don't learn then you won't be able to change things in order to better your future.
If you want to live life to the fullest you have to take chances and find the truth no matter how bad it may be. This reminds me of my Grandma Lola because when I was little she used to tell me things that were going to happen, I never knew how things would actually turn out until I experienced them. At the time it actually did occur I was then able to find the truth for myself. So overall, it is important to find the truth for yourself no matter what the circumstance.
"Truth is more important than public belief, and any man who feels the need to adjust his knowledge so as to receive public approval is a man unworthy of trust.--Toltec motto"
This quote that was said by Toltec Motto is the best way to describe how to live by. First off, this quote is trying to say how the inner self is more important then society. This quote shows how in this mordern era, we are being influenced by the law rather than being ourselves. Even though this quote has no direct message in how you should live, Toltec is trying to say that we should be ourselves and don't get into the influence of society.
The quote “Truth has to be repeated constantly, because Error also is being preached all the time, and not just by a few, but by the multitude. In the Press and Encyclopedias, in Schools and Universities, everywhere Error holds sway, feeling happy and comfortable in the knowledge of having Majority on its side,” by Goethe is saying that the truth is always being corrupted by lots of things so the truth is always hard to find. This corruption comes about by the opinions by the majority. In other words, if a majority of people wants something to happen then they will make it happen no matter if it is the truth or not. This proves that flawed ideas are still accepted because the majority of people want it that way. So, this is a great maxim to keep in mind throughout our lives. We have to realize that ideas are sometimes corrupt and the truth will be difficult to find. Each day we will be faced with error that covers the truth so in order to keep truth known we must constantly repeat it.
There is no "best" maxim to live by. Even so, who has the entire right to claim one as better, or "best" for the matter? There is no way of life that someone won't play Devil's Advocate on. Not everyone is tolerant of beliefs that one individual might seek, and might even take offense to someone else's way of life. Tolerance doesn't mean acceptance. What one might feel enjoy and life by, might entirely contradict another person's passionate beliefs. Not everyone can gain from an idealistic maxim, since opposition will always exist, even if it is not made apparent. I understand that all these points aren't challenged in life, but they're potential problems. Although some could be dealed with in the end, things such as so can't be removed from society, as of today. I understand how we're supposed to prove that one is better than the rest from the quotes, but I chose to answer the question directly.
Overall, though I personally enjoy the quote,
"Whatever satisfies the soul is truth." -Walt Whitman
The soul, I enjoy to believe is made up of the true feelings one has about everything. If someone could honestly accomplish that, it'd be the greatest for the person. It's great how versatile that quote can be. Satisfaction can vary all too much from person to person. A person can be completely grateful for a meal, and then there are dictators who want the whole world in their hands, and the only true difference between them is what they define as success. Only the person can decide what satisfies, since it's something that can never really be criticized, well it can, but the only thoughts one can rely on one's own. For me, I enjoy what I do, and my opinion on topics, since it's what I truly want, for the most part.
"When truth is replaced by silence, the silence is a lie."
This quote is a good one to live by. Many people seem to think "what they don't know can't hurt them." While this is true, it's best to tell the truth to someone rather than being a coward staying silent. Silence is a lie because it is just another way to not tell to the truth. In the end, if the person finds out what happened, then they will be just as upset that you stayed silent than if you told them a lie.
"That which can be destroyed by the truth, should be"
- P. C. Hodgell
This is an ideal quote, although it sounds a bit extreme, and possibly violent. Nowadays, I feel that most of us put each others' feelings and opinions before truth. Personally, I know I do that quite often; I hold back my own opinions because I'm afraid they may offend or anger others. Like the saying goes, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" right?
But think about it, where is that ever going to get us? How is the world going to progress if we all fear hurting each other's feelings? Yes, i do agree that manners and politeness are necessary, but maybe we're just a little too sensitive? Personally, I admire those who express exactly what they're thinking, or exactly what it is that they want to say.
Backkkk to the quote, though. Instead of just taking in information and knowledge that is simply accepted to be true, we must challenge it, to find the truth for ourselves. All knowledge should be questioned and researched until it is as close as possible to the whole truth; so that error and flaw is decreased to an absolute minimum. Perhaps errors cannot be one hundred percent eliminated, for flaws exist almost everywhere and are impossible to get rid of.
In summary, Hodgell is saying that everything that is questionable should be examined until it is as close to the truth as it can get.
As in relation to Thoreau and Romanticism, at first I didn't believe that this quote wasn't very related to the Romantic time period. It seems like this quote refers to reasoning and science and questioning until the truth is found. But after more thought, the quote refers to the individual and how they should observe and examine their surroundings until they gain knowledge for themselves; just as Thoreau did, during his time at Walden. In addition, individuality is a major part; for every one person should seek the truth for themselves to benefit themselves and their surroundings. This value is also a major belief of Romatnicism.
"Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it." --Andre Gide (1869 - 1951)
This is an interesting quote. This quote is trying to say that truth is something that can never be found, almost like a question that can never be answered. A person can devote their whole life to finding truth without answering any questions. Before we can actually "look" for truth, we need to find out what truth really is. Also, truth is something that can vary amongst people. Your views about truth may be different from mine. This effects the seeking of the ultimate truth.
This is related to Romanticism and its beliefs because your idea of truth may be different from mine. This has to do with the idea of having your own personal beleifs. Still, this quote stands correct because until we find out what truth really is, we are looking for nothing.
"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."—Voltaire
Coincidently, I think that out of all the quotes on the site, this one speaks best. As I explained in my last post, this quote is about how everyone takes life too seriously and is constantly paranoid about what is going on in his or her lives. It’s as if we are preparing for a battle we fear is about to come.
Voltaire is telling us not to do that. He’s telling us to let go, believe in God’s plan (hence the God=comedian), and to live life to the fullest and seeing the humor in both hard and good situations. Living this way takes so much stress that builds up from unimportant things and brings unnecessary hardships regarding our true selves. As for seeking truth, human intelligence cannot simply think of a way to solve problems without going through them first.
Living this lifestyle gives a soul full statisfaction. A satisfied soul has no reason to seek truth.
-Natalia ZAgula
Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth. ~Ludwig Börne. This quote is a good representation of the very basic ideals of Romanticism because it basically says that when you individually "wake up" and decide to look at the actual world around you, then you have truth which is better than looking for the truth within illusion. This relates directly to romanticism because in romanticism you can not find truth until you have stepped out of the false reality in which you live. This is like what Thoreau belives which is that people need to wake up and find truth within themselves and their natural world. I agree with this quote because just looking beyond what you see is so much better than finding truth for the fact that the truth is in knowing to step out of the illusion and finding wisdom.
"Believe nothing until it has been officially denied."--Claud Cockburn
This quote is explaining that life is like a process of elimination. You cannot have faith in something unless it has been proved wrong, or "officially denied." I think that this quote can have an impact on people in general because it seems to be the opposite of what I would originally think. I would think that we should not believe something unless it is officially proven correct. I think that this quote is saying that people need to wait to see what life has in store for them. A person is to experience life and wait to see, in the end, what they have. Truth is the end product.
"Whatever satisfies the soul is truth." ~Walt Whitman.
I believe this quote shows the best connection to Romanticism, Thoreau and myself. Romanticism is all about creating your own truth and not only listening to what you are told to be true. Thoreau believed that truth could be found in oneself and that by going out into nature he could discover ultimately what truth was and the meaning of his own existence. I can connect with this quote as well because I believe that truth is more of an individual finding. What is truth to you may not be truth to another. You just have to discover it for yourself.
"Whatever satisfies the soul is truth." ~Walt Whitman.
I believe this quote shows the best connection to Romanticism, Thoreau, and myself. Romanticism is all about finding your own truth and not only listening to what others are telling you is true. Thoreau believed that by going into nature he would find himself and his true meaning, thus finding truth. I also connect with this quote because I believe truth is different to everyone. What is truth for you may not be truth for another. Life is a journey, and only you can discover it for yourself, truth can't be found for you.
"A foolish faith in authority is the worst enemy of truth." -- Albert Einstein, letter to a friend, 1901
This quote relates to the Romantics on several levels. First is religion: Thoreau and others tended to approach God on their own rather than through a moderator, such as a priest or minister. They would explore it in their thoughts and words instead of blindly following what someone else told them (not that this other person was necessarily wrong, but anyone's blind faith in them is). Thoreau certainly found his own truth through his work, rather than taking someone else's ideas.
Another way this quote is related to the Romantics and especially Thoreau is their disdain for authority in general. Take Thoreau's dislike for cities and move to Walden, or "Civil Disobedience," in which he claims that disobeying an authority which is wrong (by, in his mind, promoting and spreading slavery) is better than obeying and looking for one's own well being.
"Whatever satisfies the soul is truth." ~Walt Whitman.
I believe this quote shows the best connection to Romanticism, Thoreau, and myself. Romanticism is all about finding your own truth and not only listening to what others are telling you is true. Thoreau believed that by going into nature he would find himself and his true meaning, thus finding truth. I also connect with this quote because I believe truth is different to everyone. What is truth for you may not be truth for another. Life is a journey, and only you can discover it for yourself, truth can't be found for you.
Jackie <3
"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." ----- Galileo Galilei
I think that this is a great quote to live by. In order to understand the truth we must search and discover it. We must explore and experience new thoughts and ideas. To understand truth we must live life and enjoy living it. Like Thoreau said, we must be with nature to find ourselves. If we find ourselves we will discover the truth.
Truth is more important than public belief, and any man who feels the need to adjust his knowledge so as to receive public approval is a man unworthy of trust.--Toltec motto
I really like this quote because it is something everyone should live by. Too many people care too much about what others think. They need others' approval on the way they act, dress, and live. We don't need anyone elses opinion on our lives, we just need to live by what we believe is true. What we know to be true is all that matters we should not have to change ourselves and our beliefs to please someone else. A person who does change their beliefs to please others may not be trusted because they don't have their own ideas, they live off of the thoughts of others. They can change their mind about anything at any given moment and are not true to themselves or anyone else.
"Wisdom is found only in truth." ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
You can only become a wise person when you have realized reality and found the real truth. The truth which is ultimately found within yourself. By gaining this truth, you truely have found the wisdom of life. This relates to romanticism because the whole idea of it was that truth can only be achieved through thought, intuition, and reflection on your own thoughts, thus leading you to the truth of your own soul and not the soul of others. Thoreau also believed that by finding truth you would be able to discover new things about yourself and the world around you. I also connect with this quote because by finding little parts of myself everyday, I am learning new things and discovering what I truely am here for.
“The exact contrary of what is generally believed is often the truth. ”
I agree with this because a lot of people believe lies, or generally just don't take the time and effort to really find truth. As Ally said, Romanticism was about trusting your own intuition and finding truth by individual experience. You shouldn't go by what is generally believed; discover truth for yourself. What do you really gain from someone telling you something when you could go and find out by yourself.
So every time i went to post this for the past few days, my computer froze, and yesterday it pretty much died, so i finally found a working computer in Newington.
"Live truth instead of professing it." ---Elbert Hubbard
I believe that this is the quote most relevent to Romanticism, Thoreau, and myself. Thoreau lived in the woods for two years, just so he could find out who he really was instead of just reading about what people thought it meant. You cant just go around telling people what you believe truth to be unless you really have found it yourself. You cant spend your whole life telling people how they should live and how to find out who they really are and expect them to be able to live happily if you havent even been able to find out who you really are on the inside. Romantic poets do not always believe in reality and the reasonable and the practical, so I suppose that they would not be reading out of books about how to find your true self and the real meaning of life.
'Nobody is going to pour truth into your brain. It’s something you have to find out for yourself.' -----Noam Chomsky
I believe that this quote is relevent to Thoreau and Romanticism. Romantic poets believe in individualism, and that you are your own person. Thoreau is considered a Romantic in my mind for this one reason. Thoreau's quest in life was to find truth and to make sure he was actually living a real life; a life he actually thought was worth living. So Thoreau spent 2 years trying to find truth all by himself. He had read books, but none of them quenched his thirst for truth. He needed to go out by himself and find it, because he wouldnt have trusted anyone else to find out truth for him. He needed to find it for himself.
(I know this is late but I still wanted to post again)
I believe that the maxim: Live truth instead of professing it. - Elbert Hubbard
is the best one to live by. It is so easy today to say, "be a good person, always do what is right, always help others, etc" but the true difficulty is actually following through with those actions. We have to avoid hypocrisy by living those truths instead of just telling others to live them. We must lead by example, not by instruction. It is said that people learn best by actually doing hands on activities, so if we apply these truths hands on, and do them rather than say them, we ourselves will learn better and have a greater impact on others.
society, society, society
its always the answer... :)
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