Consciousness and Self-Knowledge

Every part is disposed to unite with the whole, that it may thereby escape from its own incompleteness.

The eye which sees all objects reversed retains the images for some time.

Every action needs to be prompted by a motive. To know and to will are two operations of the human mind. Discerning, judging, deliberating are acts of the human mind.

Common Sense is that which judges the things given to it by other senses.

There is nothing that deceives us more than our own judgment when used to give an opinion on our own works. It is sound in judging the work of our enemies but not that of our friends, for hate and love are two of the most powerfully motivating factors found among living things.

A deaf and dumb person who sees two men in conversation may nevertheless understand from the attitudes and gestures of the speakers, how well their discussion is getting along.

While you are alone you are entirely your own master and if you have one companion you are but half your own, and the less so in proportion to the indiscretion of his behavior.

There is nothing which deceives us as much as our own judgement.

When you are alone you are all your own.

One can have no more mastery over the environment, than one has over himself.

All thoughts start from emotions.

Your brain is much better than you think; just use it!

Whatever you do in life, if you want to be creative and intelligent, and develop your brain, you must do everything with the awareness that everything, in some way, connects to everything else.

Be a mirror, absorb everything around you and still remain the same.

Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination when awake?

If you are alone you belong entirely to yourself. If you are accompanied by even one companion you belong only half to yourself or even less in proportion to the thoughtlessness of his conduct and if you 45 have more than one companion you will fall more deeply into the same plight.

It’s not enough that you believe what you see. You must also understand what you see.

It is useful to constantly observe, note, and consider.

Small rooms or dwellings discipline the mind, large ones weaken it.

Among the great things which are to be found among us, the being of nothingness is the greatest.

He who truly knows has no occasion to shout.

I awoke, only to see that the rest of the world is still asleep.

It is an acknowledged fact that we perceive errors in the work of others more readily than in our own.

Depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves.