“If you don't know the kind of person I amand I don't know the kind of person you area pattern that others made may prevail in the worldand following the wrong god home we may miss our star.”
Quote Analysis
In this quote by William Edgar Stafford, the poet explores the idea of understanding and knowing oneself and others. He suggests that without knowing each other's true nature, we may inadvertently follow the wrong path and miss out on reaching our full potential. The use of metaphors such as "a pattern that others made" and "missing our star" conveys the message that blindly following the expectations or beliefs of others can lead us away from our true purpose or destiny. It emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and individuality in navigating our own paths in life.
Relevance in a Diverse Society
William Stafford's quote highlights the importance of truly understanding and accepting others for who they are. In today's diverse society, it is crucial to recognize and appreciate the differences in individuals in order to avoid following misguided beliefs and missing out on opportunities for growth and connection.
Reflection on Personal Identity
"If you don't know the kind of person I am
and I don't know the kind of person you are
a pattern that others made may prevail in the world
and following the wrong god home we may miss our star.”
- William Edgar Stafford
This quote by William Stafford reflects on the importance of understanding each other's true identities in order to avoid getting lost in societal expectations and distractions. It emphasizes the significance of self-awareness and authenticity in navigating one's own path and finding one's true purpose.
Reflection Questions
In William Edgar Stafford's poem, he reflects on the importance of truly knowing one another and ourselves. It prompts us to consider the impact of not fully understanding each other and the potential consequences of following the wrong path. Reflecting on this, here are some questions to consider:
- How well do you truly know yourself?
- In what ways do you seek to understand others and their perspectives?
- What patterns or beliefs from others have influenced your actions or decisions?
- How can you ensure that you are following the right path and not straying from your true purpose or goals?
- What steps can you take to ensure that you are aligned with your values and aspirations, rather than being swayed by outside influences?
Similar quotes
“If you don't know the kind of person I amand I don't know the kind of person you area pattern that others made may prevail in the worldand following the wrong god home we may miss our star.... And as elephants parade holding each elephant's tail,but if one wanders the circus won't find the park,I call it cruel and maybe the root of all crueltyto know what occurs but not recognize the fact.”
“A Ritual to Read to Each OtherIf you don’t know the kind of person I amand I don’t know the kind of person you area pattern that others made may prevail in the worldand following the wrong god home we may miss our star.For there is many a small betrayal in the mind,a shrug that lets the fragile sequence breaksending with shouts the horrible errors of childhoodstorming out to play through the broken dyke.And as elephants parade holding each elephant’s tail,but if one wanders the circus won’t find the park,I call it cruel and maybe the root of all crueltyto know what occurs but not recognize the fact.And so I appeal to a voice, to something shadowy,a remote important region in all who talk:though we could fool each other, we should consider---lest the parade of our mutual life get lost in the dark.For it is important that awake people be awake,or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;the signals we give---yes or no, or maybe---should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.”
“I feel like you may be a special and kind person. And I would like to make it my business to know special and kind people. Especially if they are boys my age.”
“You should be convinced of the authenticity of what you have, but you must also be humble enough to say that we don't know everything. And since we don't know everything, we must accept that another person may believe something else.”
“And what about those [writers' workshop] critiques, by the way? How valuable are they? Not very, in my experience, sorry. A lot of them are maddeningly vague. I love the feeling of Peter's story, someone may say. It had something... a sense of I don't know... there's a loving kind of you know... I can't exactly describe it....It seems to occur to few of the attendees that if you have a feeling you just can't describe, you might just be, I don't know, kind of like, my sense of it is, maybe in the wrong fucking class.”