Blind Quote by Adam Phillips
“Sanity, as the project of keeping ourselves recognizably human, therefore has to limit the range of human experience. To keep faith with recognition we have to stay recognizable. Sanity, in other words, becomes a pressing preoccupation as soon as we recognize the importance of recognition. When we define ourselves by what we can recognize, by what we can comprehend- rather than, say, by what we can describe- we are continually under threat from what we are unwilling and/or unable to see. We are tyrannized by our blind spots, and by whatever it is about ourselves that we find unacceptable.”
About This Quote
Source Book: "On the Move" (essay collection), 1993
Sanity requires recognizing limits of experience and confronting blind spots to stay human.
In simple terms: Recognizing limits keeps us human.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge and examine blind spots.
Themes
identity
recognition
humanity
self-awareness
Mood
thoughtful
introspective
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- therapy
- creative work
- social discourse
Key Concepts
philosophy
psychology
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What blind spots shape your identity?
- How can you expand your range of experience?
A Different Perspective
Self‑recognition can be uncomfortable and destabilizing.
![“The child..will try to make himself..independent of other people. .. Excesses of appetite are self-cures for feelings of hopelessness. ..The child [uses] ‘doubt about food to hide doubt about love.’” quote by Adam Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/154/adam-phillips-18270_appetite_the-child-will-try-to-make-himself-indep_1066864.jpg)
