It is because we are through and through compounded of…
““It is because we are through and through compounded of relationships with the world that for us the only way to become aware of the fact is to suspend the resultant activity, to refuse it our complicity (to look at it ohne mitzumachen, as Husserl often says), or yet again, to put it 'out of play'. Not because we reject the certainties of common sense and a natural attitude to things - they are, on the contrary, the constant theme of philosophy - but because, being the presupposed basis of any thought, they are taken for granted, and go unnoticed, and because in order to arouse them and bring them to view, we have to suspend for a moment our recognition of them. The best formulation of the reduction is probably that given by Eugen Fink, Husserl's assistant, when he spoke of 'wonder' in the face of the world.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
We become conscious of our everyday assumptions only by temporarily suspending them, revealing the hidden structures of experience.
In simple terms: Awareness comes from pausing our usual assumptions.
Key Takeaway
Pause assumptions to see hidden reality.
Themes
philosophy
consciousness
phenomenology
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic study
- mindfulness practice
- creative problem solving
Key Concepts
Husserlian reduction
wonder
intentionality
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions do you take for granted?
- How can pausing change your perception?