"Fortunately, some are born with spiritual immune systems that sooner or later give rejection to the illusory worldview grafted upon then from birth through social conditioning. They begin sensing that something is amiss, and start looking for answers. Inner knowledge and anomalous outer experiences show them a side of reality others are oblivious to, and so begins the journey of awakening. Each step of the journey is made by following the heart instead of the crowd, and by choosing knowledge over veils of ignorance."
About Henri Bergson
Henri Bergson — Life and Legacy
Henri Bergson, a prominent French philosopher of the early 20th century, significantly influenced contemporary thought with his explorations of time and consciousness. His major work, 'Creative Evolution,' challenges the mechanistic view of life, proposing instead that evolution is driven by a vital force, or 'élan vital,' which embodies creativity and spontaneity. Bergson's philosophy emphasizes the subjective experience of time, arguing that it cannot be fully understood through scientific measurement alone. He famously stated that 'the present contains nothing more than the past,' highlighting the interconnectedness of memory and consciousness. This perspective reveals his belief that human experience is fluid and dynamic, contrasting with rigid, linear interpretations of time. Today, Bergson's ideas resonate in various fields, from psychology to existential philosophy, as they encourage a deeper understanding of the complexities of human experience. His insights into the nature of consciousness and the fluidity of time continue to inspire thinkers and artists, emphasizing the importance of intuition and creativity in grasping the essence of reality.
Quote collection
Henri Bergson quotes (page 1 of 4)
75 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly."
"The idea of the future, pregnant with an infinity of possibilities, is thus more fruitful than the future itself, and this is why we find more charm in hope than in possession, in dreams than in reality."
"I would say act like a man of thought and think like a man of action."
"Some other faculty than the intellect is necessary for the apprehension of reality."
"Homo sapiens, the only creature endowed with reason, is also the only creature to pin its existence on things unreasonable."
"There is no greater joy than that of feeling oneself a creator. The triumph of life is expressed by creation."
"In laughter we always find an unavowed intention to humiliate and consequently to correct our neighbour."
"If reality impacted directly on our senses and our consciousness, if we could have direct communication between the material world and ourselves, art would be unnecessary."
"We are free when our actions emanate from our total personality, when they express it, when they resemble it in the indefinable way a work of art sometimes does the artist."
"Sex-appeal is the keynote of our whole civilization."
"Intuition is a method of feeling one's way intellectually into the inner heart of a thing to locate what is unique and inexpressible in it."
"The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause."
"The motive power of democracy is love"
"Only those ideas that are least truly ours can be adequately expressed in words."
"It is with our entire past ... that we desire, will and act ... from this survival of the past it follows that consciousness cannot go through the same state twice. The circumstances may still be the same, but they will act no longer on the same person ... that is why our duration is irreversible."
"Art has no other object than to set aside the symbols of practical utility, the generalities that are conventionally and socially accepted, everything in fact which masks reality from us, in order to set us face to face with reality itself."
"Laughter is the corrective force which prevents us from becoming cranks."
"An absolute can only be given in an intuition, while all the rest has to do with analysis."
"Intelligence is characterized by a natural incomprehension of life."