Unamuno quotes to inspire your thinking
Walked the planet from 29 September 1864–31 December 1936, Miguel de Unamuno was an essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, professor of Greek, and Classics of Spanish origins. With that said, here are some of his wisest quotes to fill you up with some inspiration.
1) Only he who attempts the absurd is capable of achieving the impossible.
By reminiscing through history, it can be discerned that all of the more beneficial ideas were a result of courage and imagination. (More beneficial because every idea that was manifested is a trade-off).
The Wright brothers were ridiculed for their outrageous idea of transporting people in the air. From the viewpoint of an ordinary human in the late 19th century — when Wilbur and Orville were grinding to realize their vision — flying was either mystical, superhuman, or a sign of a lunatic. If it weren’t for their crazy idea, travelling wouldn’t be a pleasurable job for the majority. Hence, those who attempts the absurd is capable of achieving the impossible.
However, it is also true that most ideas were not a complete disjunction from the past. Not in refined and applicable form, but masses of ideas that are cherished and enjoyed today can be discovered in the manuscripts of the old in their crude form.
2) The less we read, the more harmful it is what we read.
Newness is a great seducer. Repetitions absorb the zeal that was once throbbing initially. Reading (or learning) escapes this not. The newness of reading, generally, makes the reader accept whatever is written as true.
Life lies in the details. To illustrate this with an example:
“Sleep increases your life expectancy”.
The one under the spell of accepting half-knowledge may over-sleep, which again hampers life expectancy.
People who don’t engage in reading or learning activities are most vulnerable to the Dunning-Kruger effect. By thinking that you know something, the dangers of knowing what you don’t know rise significantly.
While intaking and accepting any idea, it should always be remembered that the truth is more complicated than it seems. The human brain, in the effort to conserve energy, paints the world very simply, through the applications of several biases. This distorts reality beyond actuality.
3) We should try to be the parents of our future rather than the offspring of our past.
Improvement happens only at the destruction of the currently used methods and actions. Destruction of the unfruitful is the prerequisite for improvement.
For example, improvement in juggling happens when practising with slow movements is replaced by faster comfortable movements. Juggling with one ball is destroyed, which paves the path to juggling with two balls.
Therefore, by uncritically following the ways of the past, future lives are doomed. Thinking about the consequences has the power to instil a learning attitude in the thinker. A thinker who is open to learning is the producer of great ideas. Great ideas have ever been shaping the world.
Disregarding the thoughts and rituals of the past doesn’t imply disrespect. Not nurturing the children as per the tradition, but thoroughly analyzing modus operandi is a sign of growth.
Are the ideas of the past worth respecting and following when advancement is not fostered? If the customs of the past encourage growth, then they must accept and be replaced by better ones.
4) Men shout to avoid listening to one another.
To listen is to understand. Without understanding, there cannot be any harmony. It is the desire of appearing more dominant and truer that causes shouting. The parent of this desire to appear more dominant can be traced back to the fear of unacceptance, impotence, and/or invalidation. Nonetheless, the true sign of strength and mental capabilities is listening and understanding.
If the truth stands with you, then what is the problem? If it doesn’t, listening may get you a little closer. If no one listens to the truth, then you may enjoy the advantage.
All shouting subsidies at the magnificence of listening. All voices bow down to understanding.
5) You will win but you will not convince.
Apropos to the previous quote, this one is an extension of it. The employment of shouting won’t drive you towards a win. Suppressing voices from the throat, by using verbal attacks, are incapable of changing voices of the mind for good.
Shushing the tongue is a defeat because it leaves the other mind untapped, untouched, and unloved. It is by being calm that you may provide the other different vantage points and influence them.
Listening and understanding are more often than not more powerful than shouting. Not only does it make the other speaker validated, but also reveals your shortcomings. When inside a sense of security, people accept the advice and ideas of others. Therefore, it is by validating your counterpart that you stand a bigger chance of winning; victory in the relationship, and convincing.
