#standing

The true reader must be an extension of the author. He is the higher court that receives the case already prepared by the lower court. The feeling by means of which the author has separated out the materials of his work, during reading separates out again the unformed and the formed aspects of the book—and if the reader were to work through the book according to his own idea, a second reader would refine it still more, with the result that, since the mass that had been worked through would constantly be poured into fresh vessels, the mass would finally become an essential component—a part of the active spirit. Through impartial rereading of his book the author can refine his book himself. With strangers the particular character is usually lost, because the talent of fully entering into another person’s idea is so rare. Often even in the author himself. It is not a sign of superior education and greater powers to justifiably find fault with a book. When receiving new impressions, greater sharpness of mind is quite natural. ↗

— Novalis

#groking #reader #reading-books #understanding #understanding-an-idea

Rather than trying to master nature we should start with the basics of trying to understand nature, cooperate with nature. ↗

— Bryant McGill

#knowing #understanding-the-nature-of-god #nature

It is hard for a free fish to understand what is happening to a hooked one. ↗

— Karl A. Menninger

#religion

I call him religious who understands the suffering of others. ↗

— Mahatma Gandhi

#religion #understanding #religion

And the Buddha pointed out that his confusion was justified, for 'the dharma is profound, difficult to see, difficult to understand, peaceful, excellent, beyond the sphere of logic, subtle, and to be understood by the wise'. The reason for this is that it is not readily comprehended by one who holds a different view and has different learnings and inclinations, different involvements and instruction. It is clear from this statement that the conception of nibbāna in beyond logical reasoning, not because it is an Ultimate Reality transcending logic, but because logic or reason, being the 'slave of passions', makes it difficult for one who has a passion for an alien tradition to understand the conception of nibbāna. ↗

— David J. Kalupahana

#buddhism #logic #nirvana #philosophy #reason

There are wrongs for which religion makes no provision, and of which it has no comprehension. --"Wanda ↗

— Ouida

#sin #understanding #wrongs #religion

Understanding is a kind of ecstasy ↗

— Carl Sagan

#understanding #science

A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding. ↗

— Marshall McLuhan

#opinion #probes #social-science #understanding #wisdom

Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real. If quantum mechanics hasn't profoundly shocked you, you haven't understood it yet. ↗

— Niels Bohr

#learning #niels #reality #science #understanding

I'm taking inorganic chem and physics not because I want to but because I have to. Not every doctor wants to be a scientist. Some of us just want to take care of sick people. I can't help thinking that medicine is more closely aligned to the humanities than to the sciences. I can't help thinking that I could learn more about being a good doctor from William Shakespeare than I could from Isaac Newton. After all, isn't understanding people at least as important as understanding pathology? ↗

— Michael J. Collins

#medical #medicine #people #science #surgeon