--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must avoid coming to too close…" description: "\"“We must avoid coming to too close quarters with life. It is a slender crust over which you must walk without bearing down too hard. Hit your heel into..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/edmond-henri-adolphe-scherer-2_abyss_we-must-avoid-coming-to-too-close-quarte_2509988.jpg" --- # We must avoid coming to too close quarters with life. It… ![“We must avoid coming to too close quarters with life. It is a slender crust over which you must walk without bearing down too hard. Hit your heel into it and you make a hole in which you will disappear. True philosophy has never consisted in probing all problems, but often on the contrary eluding…” quote by Edmond Henri Adolphe Scherer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/edmond-henri-adolphe-scherer-2_abyss_we-must-avoid-coming-to-too-close-quarte_2509988.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/edmond-henri-adolphe-scherer-2_abyss_we-must-avoid-coming-to-too-close-quarte_2509988.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/edmond-henri-adolphe-scherer-2_abyss_we-must-avoid-coming-to-too-close-quarte_2509988.jpg) > ““We must avoid coming to too close quarters with life. It is a slender crust over which you must walk without bearing down too hard. Hit your heel into it and you make a hole in which you will disappear. True philosophy has never consisted in probing all problems, but often on the contrary eluding them. We are skirting an abyss: beware of vertigo.”” [Edmond Henri Adolphe Scherer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmond-henri-adolphe-scherer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage advises maintaining a respectful distance from life’s fragility, suggesting that true philosophy avoids over‑analysis and that one should beware of existential vertigo. **In simple terms:** Maintain distance from life’s fragility; avoid over‑analysis. Key Takeaway Respect limits and stay grounded. Themes philosophy existence balance vertigo caution Mood philosophical existential Type Abyss:1 Life:0 Philosophy:1 Vertigo:1 True Philosophy:0 Beware Vertigo:0 Avoid Coming:0 When to use this quote - It may promote disengagement from meaningful challenges. Key Concepts existentialism mindfulness self‑care Questions to Reflect On - reflective - cautious A Different Perspective When is it wise to step back versus engage?;How do you navigate fear of existential uncertainty? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abyss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abyss/) [Avoid Coming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoid-coming-1147252/) [Beware Vertigo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beware-vertigo-1147251/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [True Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-philosophy-541898/) [Vertigo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vertigo/) ## Related quotes > [The ones as big as sheep were easier to avoid, because you could see them coming, but when they flew in at the window…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-nesbit/the-ones-as-big-as-sheep-were-easier-to-avoid-because-you-could-see/) [E. Nesbit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-nesbit/) > [Those who walk in the Way should avoid sensualism as those who carry hay would avoid coming near the fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/those-who-walk-in-the-way-should-avoid-sensualism-as-those-who-carry/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Life's Life so I take my days with precaution/So many warnings we avoid when coming sense acts clogged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/life-s-life-so-i-take-my-days-with-precaution-so-many-warnings-we/) [C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/) > [I do not presume that I have found the best philosophy, I know that I understand the true philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/i-do-not-presume-that-i-have-found-the-best-philosophy-i-know-that-i/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [Nature does not teach. A true philosophy may sometimes validate an experience of nature; an experience of nature cannot validate a philosophy. Nature will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nature-does-not-teach-a-true-philosophy-may-sometimes-validate-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [True philosophy must start from the most immediate and comprehensive fact of consciousness: 'I am life that wants to live, in the midst of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/true-philosophy-must-start-from-the-most-immediate-and-comprehensive/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [The true Philosophy, known and practised by Solomon, is the basis on which Masonry is founded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pike/the-true-philosophy-known-and-practised-by-solomon-is-the-basis-on/) [Albert Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pike/) > [Where the dance of Meera and the silence of Buddha meet, blossoms the true philosophy of Rajneesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amrita-pritam/where-the-dance-of-meera-and-the-silence-of-buddha-meet-blossoms-the/) [Amrita Pritam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amrita-pritam/) > [True philosophy invents nothing; it merely establishes and describes what is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cousin/true-philosophy-invents-nothing-it-merely-establishes-and-describes/) [Victor Cousin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cousin/) > [“Experience has shown, and a true philosophy will always show, that a vast, perhaps the larger, portion of truth arises from the seemingly irrelevant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/experience-has-shown-and-a-true-philosophy-will-always-show-that-a/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [What is at issue is the conversion of the mind from the twilight of error to the truth, that climb up into the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/what-is-at-issue-is-the-conversion-of-the-mind-from-the-twilight-of/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [But if science may be said to be blind without philosophy, it is true also that philosophy is virtually empty without science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-ayer/but-if-science-may-be-said-to-be-blind-without-philosophy-it-is-true/) [A.J. Ayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-ayer/) > [Philosophy means thinking things out for oneself. Ultimately, there can be only one true philosophy, since reason is one and we all live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ralph-inge/philosophy-means-thinking-things-out-for-oneself-ultimately-there-can/) [William Ralph Inge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ralph-inge/) > [ “When, however the elements of this \[book\] such as time study, functional formanaship etc, are used without being accompanied by the true philosophy of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-winslow-taylor/when-however-the-elements-of-this-book-such-as-time-study-functional/) [Frederick Winslow Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-winslow-taylor/) > [Philosophy will not be able to effect an immediate transformation of the present condition of the world. This is not only true of philosophy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/philosophy-will-not-be-able-to-effect-an-immediate-transformation-of/) [Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/) ## More Abyss quotes > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [Early on a difficult climb, especially a solo climb, you’re hyper-aware of the abyss pulling at your back, constantly feeling its call, its immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/early-on-a-difficult-climb-especially-a-solo-climb-you-re-hyper-aware/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [“The whole organization seemed to be in free fall, indulging in a collective fantasy in which experienced colleagues refused to admit that their every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-whole-organization-seemed-to-be-in-free-fall-indulging-in-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Adam became so proud that he wished to become God and died for his pride; the Son of God humbled Himself unto death, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-kronstadt/adam-became-so-proud-that-he-wished-to-become-god-and-died-for-his/) [John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-kronstadt/) > [The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/the-cradle-rocks-above-an-abyss-and-common-sense-tells-us-that-our/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [In the end things must be as they are and have always been--the great things remain for the great, the abysses for the profound,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-the-end-things-must-be-as-they-are-and-have-always-been-the-great/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I admire the Elsie Tanners and Barbara Windsors of the world: people who have crawled back from the abyss. I'm quite camp in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-eclair/i-admire-the-elsie-tanners-and-barbara-windsors-of-the-world-people/) [Jenny Eclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-eclair/) > [I've been to unpretty places with the roles I've played, and I'm attracted to reckless abandon. I like being taken to the edge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-ifans/i-ve-been-to-unpretty-places-with-the-roles-i-ve-played-and-i-m/) [Rhys Ifans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-ifans/) > [I look into my heart and see the abyss looking back at me.' 'I won't let you fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/i-look-into-my-heart-and-see-the-abyss-looking-back-at-me-i-won-t-let/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [There is no drop of water in the ocean, not even in the deepest parts of the abyss, that does not know and respond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/there-is-no-drop-of-water-in-the-ocean-not-even-in-the-deepest-parts/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [“But first whom shall we send In search of this new world, whom shall we find Sufficient? Who shall tempt, with wand'ring feet The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/but-first-whom-shall-we-send-in-search-of-this-new-world-whom-shall/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Many women don’t know what orgasm is. Many men don’t know was total orgasm is. Many only achieve a local orgasm, a genital orgasm;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-women-don-t-know-what-orgasm-is-many-men-don-t-know-was-total/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fear not. For fear itself is fed by fear, and all fears pass. Did no one tell you so? Come take my hand, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/fear-not-for-fear-itself-is-fed-by-fear-and-all-fears-pass-did-no-one/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [God gave the sea the danger and the abyss, but it was in it that He mirrored the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/god-gave-the-sea-the-danger-and-the-abyss-but-it-was-in-it-that-he/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [We belong to an age where apocalypse is our daily bread, coffee's black, and we know we're part of the abyss. Red Spider White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-aldiss/we-belong-to-an-age-where-apocalypse-is-our-daily-bread-coffee-s/) [Brian Aldiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-aldiss/) [Browse all 625 Abyss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abyss/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We must avoid coming to too close quarters with life. It is a slender crust over which you must walk without bearing down too hard. Hit your heel into it and you make a hole in which you will disappear. True philosophy has never consisted in probing all problems, but often on the contrary eluding them. 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