Each of us must turn inward and destroy in himself all that he thinks he ought to destroy in others.
ETTY HILLESUM
ETTY HILLESUM
Etty Hillesum on anand thakur
Etty Hillesum41 quotes“Each of us must turn inward and destroy in himself all that he thinks he ought to destroy in others.”
Filed under
More from Etty Hillesum
Every word born of an inner necessity – writing must never be anything else.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum Greed probably figures in my intellectual life as well, as I attempt to absorb a massive amount of information with consequent mental indigestion.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum Suffering has always been with us; does it really matter in what form it comes? All that matters is how we bear it and how we fit it into our lives.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum Life is good, after all…and that’s what stays with me, even now, even when I’m about to be packed off to Poland.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum I do believe it is possible to create, even without ever writing a word or painting a picture, by simply molding one’s inner life. And that too is a deed.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths, or the turning inwards in prayer for five short minutes.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum The externals are simply so many props; everything we need is within us.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum Our desire must be like a slow and stately ship, sailing across endless oceans, never in search of safe anchorage. Then suddenly, unexpectedly, it will find mooring for a moment.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum And now that I don’t want to own anything any more and am free, now I suddenly own everything, now my inner riches are immeasurable.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum How rash to assert that man shapes his own destiny. All he can do is determine his inner responses.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum Sometimes my day is crammed full of people and talk and yet I have the feeling of living in utter peace and quiet. And the tree outside my window, in the evenings, is a greater experience than all those people put together.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum Sometimes I feel that every word spoken and every gesture made merely serve to exacerbate misunderstandings. Then what I would really like is to escape into a great silence and impose that silence on everyone else.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum I really see no other solution than to turn inwards and to root out all the rottenness there. I no longer believe that we can change anything in the world until we first change ourselves. And that seems to me the only lesson to be learned.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum One must also accept that one has ‘uncreative’ moments. The more honestly one can accept that, the quicker these moments will pass.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum To live fully, outwardly and inwardly, not to ignore the external reality for the sake of the inner life, or the reverse, that’s quite a task.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum I don’t want to be anything special. I only want to try to be true to that in me which seeks to fulfill its promise.
Etty HillesumEtty Hillesum
Original quotes
From our community writers
Mental health doesn’t have to be an uphill battle.
Isabel RocioIsabel Rocio The worst thing is not to share our pain with each other when you can.
Ayaka HaseAyaka Hase I have happened in so many places, to so many people – the essence of me lives on in these nuances, these moments.
Lang LeavLang Leav Respect your body, it’s a home to be thankful for.
SargamSargam My heart holds your name like it’s the only thing it knows.
N.M SanchezN.M Sanchez Listening and empathizing will enable you to look past fake smiles and dive deeper into the pain in their eyes.
Ankur SinghAnkur Singh I heard the universe whisper “take care of her”
Karla GaleanaKarla Galeana Respect me, not because I respect you, but because I deserve your respect.
Najwa ZebianNajwa Zebian
Meet the writers
More on anand thakur
A wise man who stands firm is a statesman, a foolish man who stands firm is a catastrophe.
Adlai Stevenson IAdlai Stevenson I It is in the nature of cats to do a certain amount of unescorted roaming.
Adlai Stevenson IAdlai Stevenson I What can give us more sure knowledge than our senses? How else can we distinguish between the true and the false?
LucretiusLucretius To seek Truth is to avoid Truth, constantly.
Adi DaAdi Da Freedom is not an ideal
Adlai Stevenson IIAdlai Stevenson II I create a playlist for each and every character that I play.
Adhir KalyanAdhir Kalyan I believe that if we really want human brotherhood to spread and increase until it makes life safe and sane
Adlai Stevenson IIAdlai Stevenson II I still look up the meaning of the name of the character to see if there are any clues in that.
Adina PorterAdina Porter