“If I am worth anything later, I am worth something now. For wheat is wheat, even if people think it is a grass in the beginning.” - Van Gogh
Quotes I liked
Be not astonished at new ideas; for it is well known to you that a thing does not therefore cease to be true because it is not accepted by many. - spinosa
I like this quote because it clearly represents the frustration spinosa felt with the scientific and religious communities at the time. Spinoza is saying that just because no one believes or agrees with you does not mean that your opinion is wrong. I really like this quote because i think it is an important thing to remember especially in today’s political climate when many people will believe a lie because they truth is not as widely available or people are talked down upon for having different opinions. But is important to remember that the validity of an opinion is not tied to how widely it is accepted.
I have discovered that all human unhappiness comes from this, man's inability to sit still in his room. -Pascal
I like this quote because as a creative person who often spends lots of time spaced out I relate to this quote. Many people lack the skill to sit still and be quiet for an extended period of time and as a part of this problem lack creative focus. People who aren't able to be alone with their thoughts usually reflect other problems of not being happy alone or comfortable in quiet spaces which can be apart of a greater unhappiness in their lives. I just like this quote because I feel like it holds a lot of truth.
Sin cannot be conceived in a natural state, but only in a civil state, where it is decreed by common consent what is good or bad. - spinosa
This quote is approaching the problem of morality in a very non-religious way which is interesting because Spinosa was a very religious philosopher for a time. I think this quote is interesting because it shows the way morals are brought about in a non-religious way, by the governing of the people. Without a religious guideline it may seem like morals are very relative to each person or whatever the law is. Spinoza thinks that sin is not something natural but it’s something that we define.