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Meaning
The quote contrasts public admiration with mental illness. It suggests that being mentally unwell can bring attention, but not the admiration that comes with fame. It also points to how envy depends on status, and that people do not usually envy suffering.
When It Was Said
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Who It Was Said To
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Historical Context
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Source
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Original Language & Translation
Originally said in English.
Did They Really Say It?
No source found on Wikiquote; the quote is listed as attributed to Robert M. Pirsig.
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About Robert M. Pirsig
American writer and philosopher
Robert Maynard Pirsig was an American writer and philosopher. He is best known for Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values, published in 1974, and Lila: An Inquiry into Morals, published in 1991. His work is shaped by philosophical questions about values, morals, and quality. He also co-authored On Quality: An Inquiry Into Excellence: Selected and Unpublished Writings with his wife and editor, Wendy Pirsig, which was published in 2022.
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Books by Robert M. Pirsig
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
2000
Lila
1992