Contemplate Quote by Alexis de Tocqueville
““I have only to contemplate myself; man comes from nothing, passes through time, and disappears forever in the bosom of God. He is seen but for a moment wandering on the verge of two abysses, and then is lost. If man were wholly ignorant of himself he would have no poetry in him, for one cannot describe what one does not conceive. If he saw himself clearly, his imagination would remain idle and would have nothing to add to the picture. But the nature of man is sufficiently revealed for him to know something of himself and sufficiently veiled to leave much impenetrable darkness, a darkness in which he ever gropes, forever in vain, trying to understand himself.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville, 1835
Human self‑knowledge is limited; we glimpse only part of ourselves, leaving much mystery and endless search for meaning.
In simple terms: We only know ourselves partly, leaving many unknowns.
Key Takeaway
Accept mystery, pursue self‑reflection.
Themes
self‑knowledge
existentialism
human nature
Mood
contemplative
reflective
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- spiritual contemplation
- creative writing
- therapy
- education
Key Concepts
philosophy
psychology
metaphysics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does acknowledging our limits affect our aspirations?
- What role does mystery play in personal growth?
A Different Perspective
Our understanding is always partial, so certainty is impossible.
![“[The lion] began to contemplate me with a kind of quiet premeditation, like that of a slow-witted man fondling an unaccustomed thought.” quote by Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ad2/beryl-markham-6709_contemplate_the-lion-began-to-contemplate-me-with-a_193009.jpg)
![“[When nature appears complicated:] The moment we contemplate it as it is, and attain a position from which we can take a commanding view, though but of a small part of its plan, we never fail to recognize that sublime simplicity on which the mind rests satisfied that it has attained the truth.” quote by John Herschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c0b/john-herschel-18983_complicated_when-nature-appears-complicated-the-mome_203650.jpg)
