Isak Dinesen's quote, "God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road," speaks to the idea that uncertainty and mystery are inherent aspects of life. By making the world round, with no clear view of what lies ahead, humans are forced to live in the present moment and deal with challenges as they come. This quote emphasizes the importance of embracing the unknown and finding beauty in the unpredictability of life. It reminds us to focus on the journey rather than obsessing over the destination.
Isak Dinesen's quote highlights the importance of embracing uncertainty in our lives. In our fast-paced and ever-changing world, it is impossible to predict what the future holds. Just as we can never see too far down the road, we must learn to adapt to the unknown and trust that things will unfold as they are meant to. This reminder can help us navigate the twists and turns of life with grace and resilience.
"God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road." - Isak Dinesen
Contemplating the quote by Isak Dinesen, "God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road," can lead to deep introspection and insights about life's uncertainties. Here are some reflection questions to ponder:
How do you interpret the metaphor of the world being round in relation to our ability to see into the future?
In what ways does the unknown future shape your decisions and actions in the present?
How can embracing the uncertainty of life's journey bring about a greater sense of resilience and adaptability?
Do you believe that having limited visibility of what lies ahead adds to the richness and mystery of life, or does it create anxiety and discomfort?
How can you learn to find peace and contentment in the present moment, without fixating on what may come in the distant future?
“Perhaps he knew, as I did not, that the Earth was made round so that we would not see too far down the road.”
“We fish rest quietly, on all sides supported, within an element which all the time accurately and unfailingly evens itself out. An element which may be said to have taken over our personal experience, in as much as, regardless of individual shape and whether we be flat fish or round fish, our weight and body and calculated according to the quantity of our surroundings which we displace...We run no risks. For our changing of place in existence never creates, or leaves after it, what man calls a way, upon which phenomenon - in reality no phenomenon but an illusion - he will waste inexplicable passionate deliberation. Man, in the end, is alarmed by the idea of time, and unbalanced by incessant wanderings between past and future.”
“People who dream when they sleep at night know of a special kind of happiness which the world of the day holds not, a placid ecstasy, and ease of heart, that are like honey on the tongue. They also know that the real glory of dreams lies in their atmosphere of unlimited freedom. It is not the freedom of the dictator, who enforces his own will on the world, but the freedom of the artist, who has no will, who is free of will. The pleasure of the true dreamer does not lie in the substance of the dream, but in this: that there things happen without any interference from his side, and altogether outside his control. Great landscapes create themselves, long splendid views, rich and delicate colours, roads, houses, which he has never seen or heard of...”
“Then Martine said: "So yuo will be poor now all your life, Babette?"Poor?" said Babette. She smiled as if to herself. "No, I shall never be poor. I told you that I am a great artist. A great artist, Mesdames, is never poor.We have something, Mesdames, of which other people know nothing.”
“Dr Sass…maintained that in paradise, until the time of the fall, the whole world was flat, the back-curtain of the Lord, and that it was the devil who invented a third dimension. Thus are the words ‘straight’, ‘square’, and ‘flat’ the words of noblemen, but the apple was an orb, and the sin of our first parents, the attempt at getting around God. I myself much prefer the art of painting to sculpture”
“A great artist is never poor.”