The folly of mistaking a paradox for a discovery, a metaphor for a proof, a torrent of verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an oracle, is inborn in us.

—Paul Valéry

truth discovery knowledge error self paradox

More quotations from Paul Valéry

Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.

—Paul Valéry

politics power people democracy control

That which has always been accepted by everyone, everywhere, is almost certain to be false.

—Paul Valéry

truth opinion false

God made everything out of nothing, but the nothingness shows through.

—Paul Valéry

God perception nothing everything

Love is being stupid together.

—Paul Valéry

God made everything out of nothing, but the nothingness shows through.

—Paul Valéry

creation nothing

More quotations tagged with “self”

Take everything you like seriously, except yourselves.

—Rudyard Kipling

self seriousness

Dream is not a revelation. If a dream affords the dreamer some light on himself, it is not the person with closed eyes who makes the discovery but the person with open eyes, lucid enough to fit thoughts together. Dream — a scintillating mirage surrounded by shadows — is essentially poetry.

—Michel Leiris

poetry self thoughts dream

We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are.

reality perception self bias self-delusion

Laughing at our mistakes can lengthen our own life. Laughing at someone else's can shorten it.

—Cullen Hightower

life others laughter mistakes self

The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.

—William Hazlitt

love others power freedom self