Quote by Henry David Thoreau, Walden, ch.
In our most trivial walks, we are constantly, though unconsciously, steering like pilots by certain well-known beacons and headlands, and if we go beyond our usual course we still carry in our minds the bearing of some neighboring cape; and not till we are completely lost, or turned round -- for a man needs only to be turned round once with his eyes shut in this world to be lost -- do we appreciate the vastness and strangeness of nature. Every man has to learn the points of compass again as often as be awakes, whether from sleep or any abstraction. Not till we are lost, in other words not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations.
Summary
This quote, by Henry David Thoreau, emphasizes the process of rediscovering oneself and the world around us through getting lost. Thoreau suggests that even in our routine walks, we subconsciously navigate using familiar landmarks and boundaries. However, it is only when we stray from the familiar path and lose our bearings that we truly comprehend the vastness and unfamiliarity of our surroundings. This serves as a metaphor for life, suggesting that only when we detach ourselves from the known and comfortable, can we begin to grasp the infinite extent of our connections and understand who we truly are.
Topics
Discovery
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