--- title: "1 Poetry Self Quotes By Norman Fischer" description: "1 Poetry Self quotes by Norman Fischer. Plus more from Norman Fischer and more Poetry Self sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/norman-fischer-30519_inside-and-outside_meditation-is-when-you-sit-down-let-s-sa_2884754.jpg" --- > [“Meditation is when you sit down, let's say that, and don't do anything. Poetry is when you get up and do something. Somewhere we've developed the misconception that poetry is self-expression, and that meditation is going inward. Actually, poetry has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/meditation-is-when-you-sit-down-let-s-say-that-and-don-t-do-anything/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/norman-fischer-30519_inside-and-outside_meditation-is-when-you-sit-down-let-s-sa_2884754.jpg) ## More by Norman Fischer > [“Why would we have to know everything all the time? Why do we have to be so knowledgeable, so smart, so in control? We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/why-would-we-have-to-know-everything-all-the-time-why-do-we-have-to/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“Meditation is doing what you are doing - whether you are doing formal meditation or child care.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/meditation-is-doing-what-you-are-doing-whether-you-are-doing-formal/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“This doesn’t work by thought and will. It doesn’t disregard thought and will, but thought and will are not the engine that makes this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/this-doesn-t-work-by-thought-and-will-it-doesn-t-disregard-thought/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“We realize how dangerous and painful life is if we don’t open up. We know we have to do it. And as soon as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/we-realize-how-dangerous-and-painful-life-is-if-we-don-t-open-up-we/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“Renunciation isn't a moral imperative or a form of self-denial. It's simply cooperation with the way things are: for moments do pass away, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/renunciation-isn-t-a-moral-imperative-or-a-form-of-self-denial-it-s/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“So it does turn out that we do need to begin by contemplating the profound nature of self and other. Because if you change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/so-it-does-turn-out-that-we-do-need-to-begin-by-contemplating-the/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“In other words, to Train in the preliminaries is to stop moaning and feeling sorry for yourself and to recognize instead that regardless of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/in-other-words-to-train-in-the-preliminaries-is-to-stop-moaning-and/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“Obviously it won’t do to love somebody and enjoy that person’s company but then, when things between you get difficult, to abandon the person.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/obviously-it-won-t-do-to-love-somebody-and-enjoy-that-person-s/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“We now see that the only way that we could love ourselves is by loving others, and the only way that we could truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/we-now-see-that-the-only-way-that-we-could-love-ourselves-is-by/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“Although we don’t like to think about it, it seems that sorrow and suffering are inevitable in any human life, even a happy one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/although-we-don-t-like-to-think-about-it-it-seems-that-sorrow-and/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“The actions, thoughts, and words of each of us are important. All of us together are making the world. So we have to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/the-actions-thoughts-and-words-of-each-of-us-are-important-all-of-us/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“When we sit we recognize the crucial, divine importance of absolutely everything that arises—every thought, every feeling, every breath, every unspeakable, unnameable impulse. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/when-we-sit-we-recognize-the-crucial-divine-importance-of-absolutely/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“The Chinese ideograph for forbearance is a heart with a sword dangling over it, another instance of language's brilliant way of showing us something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/the-chinese-ideograph-for-forbearance-is-a-heart-with-a-sword/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“In a Zen retreat we have a format for working with these quicksilver changes: we sit with them, we pay attention to them... Being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/in-a-zen-retreat-we-have-a-format-for-working-with-these-quicksilver/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) > [“Meditation is when you sit down, let's say that, and don't do anything. Poetry is when you get up and do something. Somewhere we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-fischer/meditation-is-when-you-sit-down-let-s-say-that-and-don-t-do-anything/) [Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-fischer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry-self/norman-fischer/#itemlist", "name": "1 Poetry Self Quotes By Norman Fischer", "numberOfItems": 1, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Meditation is when you sit down, let's say that, and don't do anything. Poetry is when you get up and do something. Somewhere we've developed the misconception that poetry is self-expression, and that meditation is going inward. Actually, poetry has nothing to do with self-expression, it is the way to be free, finally, of self-expression, to go much deeper than that. 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