Confusing Quote by Basil Bunting
“The mystic purchases a moment of exhilaration with a lifetime of confusion; and the confusion is infectious and destructive. It is confusing and destructive to try and explain anything in terms of anything else, poetry in terms of psychology.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: "The Mystics," 1955
Mysticism offers fleeting joy but creates lasting confusion; trying to translate across disciplines creates chaos.
In simple terms: Mystic joy leads to lasting confusion; cross-discipline explanations are chaotic.
Key Takeaway
Beware of over‑simplifying complex ideas.
Themes
mysticism
confusion
translation
Mood
introspective
critical
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- art criticism
- academic writing
- spiritual practice
- creative expression
Key Concepts
philosophical paradox
interdisciplinary limits
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you handle confusing inspiration?
- When is translation useful?
A Different Perspective
Seeking clarity may require accepting ambiguity.
![“When you're thinking about something that you don't understand, you have a terrible, uncomfortable feeling called confusion... Now, is the confusion's because we're all some kind of apes that are kind of stupid working against this, trying to figure out [how] to put the two sticks together to…” quote by Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/066/richard-p-feynman-495_apes_when-you-re-thinking-about-something-tha_1248817.jpg)
