Bread Quote by Fernando Pessoa
“What is a disease is wishing with an equal intensity what is needed and what is desirable, and suffer for not being perfect as you would suffer for not having bread. The romantic error is this wanting the moon as if there was a way to get it.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The Book of Disquiet”, 1913
Desire for perfection creates suffering; wishing for the impossible (the moon) mirrors yearning for unattainable goals.
In simple terms: Wanting perfection causes pain, like longing for the impossible.
Key Takeaway
Accept imperfection and set realistic goals.
Themes
philosophy
desire
imperfection
Mood
contemplative
melancholic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- career planning
- creative projects
- personal expectations
Key Concepts
existentialism
human condition
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “the moon” represent for you?
- How can you balance desire and realism?
A Different Perspective
Perfectionism can lead to chronic dissatisfaction.
![“[From Flowering Judas ] She is, her comrades tell her, full of romantic error, for what she defines as cynicism in them is merely 'a developed sense of reality'.” quote by Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/27c/katherine-anne-porter-2653_pessimism_from-flowering-judas-she-is-her-comrades_2216928.jpg)
