There's a theory, one I find persuasive, that the quest for knowledge is, at bottom, the search for the answer to the question: Where was I before I was born. In the beginning was what? Perhaps, in the beginning, there was a curious room, a room like this one, crammed with wonders; and now the room and all it contains are forbidden you, although it was made just for you, had been prepared for you since time began, and you will spend all your life trying to remember it.

Summary

This quote suggests that the pursuit of knowledge is driven by a fundamental curiosity about our existence. It proposes the idea that our desire for knowledge stems from a deep-rooted need to understand our origins and what existed before we were born. The quote poetically imagines a room filled with endless possibilities and wonders that were meant for us, but has now become off-limits. It hints at the idea that our lifelong journey for knowledge is an attempt to recollect and rediscover this forgotten room and its contents.

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