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Meaning
The quote says that thinking about ideas is not enough on its own. It argues that ideas only matter when they are actually lived and tested in real life. It also suggests that experience gives ideas their true value.
When It Was Said
Not documented yet.
Who It Was Said To
Not documented yet.
Historical Context
Not documented yet.
Source
Demian
Original Language & Translation
Originally said in English.
Did They Really Say It?
The phrase appears in the book "Demian" by Hermann Hesse (Google Books snippet); no earlier source was checked.
Did You Know?
Not documented yet.
About Hermann Hesse
German-Swiss poet and novelist
Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet and novelist. He won the 1946 Nobel Prize in Literature and is best known for novels such as Demian, Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, Narcissus and Goldmund, and The Glass Bead Game. His writing was shaped by his interest in Eastern religious, spiritual, and philosophical traditions, as well as by his engagement with Jungian analysis. Across his fiction, he returns to the search for authenticity, self-knowledge, and spiritual meaning.
More from Hermann Hesse (262 quotes) →More quotes by Hermann Hesse
- “I wanted only to live in accord with the promptings which came from my true self. Why was that so very diffic…”Hermann Hesse
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- “I was out of my bed in one second, trembling with excitement, and I dashed to the door and into the adjoining…”Hermann Hesse
- “I was not a good scholar, and during my last year at school I made little effort. This was not due to lazines…”Hermann Hesse
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READ THE SOURCE
Books by Hermann Hesse
Siddhartha
2006
Der Steppenwolf
2002
Demian
2000
Das Glasperlenspiel
1990
Narziss und Goldmund
2003