Quote by Henry David Thoreau

However intense my experience, I am conscious of the presence and criticism of a part of me, which, as it were, is not a part of me, but a spectator, sharing no experience, but taking note of it, and that is no more I than it is you. When the play, it may be the tragedy, of life is over, the spectator goes his way. It was a kind of fiction, a work of the imagination only, so far as he was concerned.

However intense my experience, I am conscious of the presenc

Summary

This quote highlights the concept of self-awareness and introspection. The speaker expresses the existence of an inner observer within themselves that remains detached from the experiences they go through, functioning like a spectator in a play. This observer does not participate or feel the same emotions as the individual, but rather observes and takes note. Ultimately, the speaker implies that this observer is separate from their true self, and after the experiences have concluded, it departs, emphasizing the transient nature of these experiences as mere figments of imagination.

Topics

Soul

By Henry David Thoreau

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