If time is not real, then the dividing line between this world and eternity, between suffering and bliss, between good and evil, is also an illusion.
Hermann Hesse
Time, Real, Illusion, Existential Philosophy, Moral Complexity, Spiritual Perspective
Hermann Hesse’s Quotes On Topics
Wait | Emotional Definition | Known | Epiphany | Superficial Appreciation | Personal Reflection | Spiritual | Experiential Wisdom | Cultural Value | Festhalten | Uns | Child | Primitive | Weisheit | Wisdom Acquisition | Brother | Emptiness | Educational Disillusionment | Personal Value | Mental Health | More
More Hermann Hesse Quotes
“The tree does not die, it waits.” Hermann Hesse
Patience, Resilience, Nature, Continuity, Life Cycle, Growth
Hermann Hesse Patience, Resilience, Nature, Continuity, Life Cycle, Growth“Like a wallflower he stayed in the background waiting for someone to fetch him, someone more courageous and stronger than himself to tear him away and force him into happiness.” Hermann Hesse
Wallflower, Background, Happiness, Personal Passivity, Emotional Dependence, Self-limitation
Hermann Hesse Wallflower, Background, Happiness, Personal Passivity, Emotional Dependence, Self-limitation“As for others and the world around him he never ceased in his heroic and earnest endeavour to love them, to be just to them, to do them no harm, for the love of his neighbor was as deeply in him as the hatred of himself, and so his whole life was an example that love of one's neighbor is not possible without love of oneself, and that self-hate is really the same thing as sheer egoism, and in the long run breeds the same cruel isolation and despair.” Hermann Hesse
Love, Self-hate, Neighbor, Psychological Insight, Moral Philosophy, Emotional Paradox
Hermann Hesse Love, Self-hate, Neighbor, Psychological Insight, Moral Philosophy, Emotional Paradox“The realms of day and night. Two different worlds coming from two opposite poles mingled during this time.” Hermann Hesse
Day, Night, Duality, Experience, Realms, Perception
Hermann Hesse Day, Night, Duality, Experience, Realms, Perception“The kind of person we want to develop, the kind of person we aim to become, would at any time be able to exchange his discipline or art for any other.” Hermann Hesse
Person, Discipline, Art, Personal Development, Versatility, Life Philosophy
Hermann Hesse Person, Discipline, Art, Personal Development, Versatility, Life Philosophy“There I often walked along the shore, listened to the sea, and thought as I had done in my youth, with amazement and horror, about the sad and senseless confusion of life, that one could love in vain, that people who meant well toward each other should work out their destinies separately, each one going his own inexplicable way, and how each would like to help and draw close to the other and yet was unable to do so, as in troubled meaningless dreams.” Hermann Hesse
Shore, Life, Dreams, Existential Reflection, Human Isolation, Relational Complexity
Hermann Hesse Shore, Life, Dreams, Existential Reflection, Human Isolation, Relational Complexity“I don’t know. I really don’t know. Perhaps that would be best, I thought I wanted it myself. But today I’m no longer sure what I really want and desire. Before, everything was simple, as simple as letters in my textbook. Now nothing is simple any more, not even the letters. Everything has taken on many meanings and faces. I don’t know what will become of me, I can’t think about that now.” Hermann Hesse
Uncertainty, Confusion, Complexity, Self Reflection, Existential Dilemma, Personal Growth
Hermann Hesse Uncertainty, Confusion, Complexity, Self Reflection, Existential Dilemma, Personal Growth“We can understand one another, but each of us can only interpret himself.” Hermann Hesse
Understanding, Interpretation, Self Knowledge, Communication, Individual Perspective, Human Connection
Hermann Hesse Understanding, Interpretation, Self Knowledge, Communication, Individual Perspective, Human Connection“Haller belongs to those who have been caught between two ages, who are outside of all security and simple acquiescence. He belongs to those whose fate it is to live the whole riddle of human destiny heightened to the pitch of a personal torture, a personal hell.” Hermann Hesse
Ages, Destiny, Hell, Existential Struggle, Personal Torment, Historical Liminality
Hermann Hesse Ages, Destiny, Hell, Existential Struggle, Personal Torment, Historical Liminality“A person or an act is never entirely Sansara or entirely Nirvana, a person is never entirely holy or entirely sinful. It does really seem like this, because we are subject to deception, as if time was something real. Time is not real.” Hermann Hesse
Sansara, Nirvana, Holy, Spiritual Duality, Moral Ambiguity, Existential Insight
Hermann Hesse Sansara, Nirvana, Holy, Spiritual Duality, Moral Ambiguity, Existential Insight“One of the aphorisms occurred to me now and I wrote it under the picture: “Fate and temperament are two words for one and the same concept.” That was clear to me now.” Hermann Hesse
Fate, Temperament, Understanding, Clarity, Reflection, Wisdom
Hermann Hesse Fate, Temperament, Understanding, Clarity, Reflection, Wisdom“I realize today that nothing in the world is more distasteful to a man than to take the path that leads to himself.” Hermann Hesse
Self, Distaste, Journey, Avoidance, Personal Growth, Introspection
Hermann Hesse Self, Distaste, Journey, Avoidance, Personal Growth, Introspection“All of the waves and waters hastened, suffering, towards goals, many goals, to the waterfall, to the sea, to the current, to the ocean and all goals were reached and each one was succeeded by another. The water turned into vapour and rose, became rain and came down again, became spring, brook and river, changed anew, flowed anew.” Hermann Hesse
Suffering, Transformation, Journey, Natural Cycle, Fluid Flow, Goals Achieved
Hermann Hesse Suffering, Transformation, Journey, Natural Cycle, Fluid Flow, Goals Achieved“Every man’s story is important, eternal and sacred. That is why every man, as long as he lives and fulfills the will of nature, is wondrous and worthy of every consideration.” Hermann Hesse
Story, Important, Sacred, Human Experience, Existential Value, Personal Dignity
Hermann Hesse Story, Important, Sacred, Human Experience, Existential Value, Personal Dignity“That I know nothing about myself, that Siddhartha has remained thus alien and unknown to me, stems from one cause, a single cause: I was afraid of myself, I was fleeing from myself! I searched Atman, I searched Brahmin, I was willing to dissect myself and peel off all of its layers, to find the core of all peels in its unknown interior, the Atman, life, the divine part, the ultimate part. But I have lost myself in the process.” Hermann Hesse
Myself, Searched, Lost, Self-discovery, Spiritual Journey, Existential Alienation
Hermann Hesse Myself, Searched, Lost, Self-discovery, Spiritual Journey, Existential Alienation“You could observe people’s folly, you could laugh at them or feel sorry for them, but you had to let them go their own way.” Hermann Hesse
Folly, Observation, Acceptance, Individuality, Empathy, Human Behavior
Hermann Hesse Folly, Observation, Acceptance, Individuality, Empathy, Human Behavior“That life is difficult, I have often bitterly realized.” Hermann Hesse
Life, Difficult, Bitterly, Personal Struggle, Existential Challenge, Emotional Honesty
Hermann Hesse Life, Difficult, Bitterly, Personal Struggle, Existential Challenge, Emotional Honesty“If I know what love is, it is because of you.” Hermann Hesse
Love, Know, You, Emotional Revelation, Relational Insight, Personal Growth
Hermann Hesse Love, Know, You, Emotional Revelation, Relational Insight, Personal Growth“A wolf of the Steppes that had lost its way and strayed into the towns and the life of the herd, a more striking image could not be found for his shy loneliness, his savagery, his restlessness, his homesickness, his homelessness.” Hermann Hesse
Wolf, Herd, Homelessness, Social Alienation, Primal Nature, Existential Displacement
Hermann Hesse Wolf, Herd, Homelessness, Social Alienation, Primal Nature, Existential Displacement