--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The man who has a library of his own…" description: "\"The man who has a library of his own collection is able to contemplate himself objectively, and is justified in believing in his own existence.\" — Augu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a44/augustine-birrell-22545_able_the-man-who-has-a-library-of-his-own-col_2648476.png" --- # The man who has a library of his own collection is able to… ![“The man who has a library of his own collection is able to contemplate himself objectively, and is justified in believing in his own existence.” quote by Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a44/augustine-birrell-22545_able_the-man-who-has-a-library-of-his-own-col_2648476.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a44/augustine-birrell-22545_able_the-man-who-has-a-library-of-his-own-col_2648476.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a44/augustine-birrell-22545_able_the-man-who-has-a-library-of-his-own-col_2648476.png) > “The man who has a library of his own collection is able to contemplate himself objectively, and is justified in believing in his own existence.” [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Owning a personal library enables objective self-reflection and validates one's existence. **In simple terms:** Personal library fosters self‑reflection. Key Takeaway Cultivate a personal library. Themes knowledge self‑reflection existence library objectivity Mood contemplative introspective Type philosophical essay When to use this quote - studying - writing - introspective practice Key Concepts philosophy literature Questions to Reflect On - How does reading shape self‑identity? - What alternatives exist for self‑reflection? A Different Perspective Not everyone has access to extensive books. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believing Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believing-existence-477493/) [Collections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collections/) [Contemplate Objectively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplate-objectively-2330780/) [Contemplating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplating/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [He man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he-man/) [Justified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justified/) [Justified Believing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justified-believing-2330781/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Man Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-library-1867502/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Objectively Justified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objectively-justified-2330782/) ## Related quotes > [Belief in God is an act of faith. But so is believing our existence is simply the result of chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/belief-in-god-is-an-act-of-faith-but-so-is-believing-our-existence-is/) [Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/) > [Simply believing in the existence of God is not exactly what I would call a commitment. After all, even the devil believes that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-angelica/simply-believing-in-the-existence-of-god-is-not-exactly-what-i-would/) [Mother Angelica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-angelica/) > [“There is a class whose value I should designate as Favorites: such as Froissart's Chronicles; Southey's Chronicle of the Cid ; Cervantes ; Sully's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/there-is-a-class-whose-value-i-should-designate-as-favorites-such-as/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [But what can a man see of a library being one day in it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/but-what-can-a-man-see-of-a-library-being-one-day-in-it/) [James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/) > [“Nothing is so intimately a part of a man as his library. 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He gave ordinary people the courage to live with uncertainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/moses-became-america-s-true-founding-father-because-he-evangelized/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [As far as I know, the question of whether and how it could be strategically or morally justified was never the subject of open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-far-as-i-know-the-question-of-whether-and-how-it-could-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [Although under particular circumstances, the violence method - any method - can be justified, nevertheless once you commit violence, then counterviolence will be returned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/although-under-particular-circumstances-the-violence-method-any/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) ## More by Augustine Birrell > [Poetry should be vital--either stirring our blood by its divine movements or snatching our breath by its divine perfection. To do both is supreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/poetry-should-be-vital-either-stirring-our-blood-by-its-divine/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [It can never be wrong to give pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/it-can-never-be-wrong-to-give-pleasure/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [A poet's soul must contain the perfect shape of all things good, wise and just. His body must be spotless and without blemish, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/a-poet-s-soul-must-contain-the-perfect-shape-of-all-things-good-wise/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [A conventional good read is usually a bad read, a relaxing bath in what we know already. A true good read is surely an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/a-conventional-good-read-is-usually-a-bad-read-a-relaxing-bath-in/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [Libraries are not made, they grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/libraries-are-not-made-they-grow/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [That great dust-heap called 'history'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/that-great-dust-heap-called-history/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [“Libraries are not made; they grow. 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I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. 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