--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How pathetically scanty my self-knowledge…" description: "\"How pathetically scanty my self-knowledge is compared with, say, my knowledge of my room. There is no such thing as observation of the inner world, as ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/franz-kafka-214_inner-world_how-pathetically-scanty-my-self-knowledg_1415105.jpg" --- # How pathetically scanty my self-knowledge is compared… ![“How pathetically scanty my self-knowledge is compared with, say, my knowledge of my room. There is no such thing as observation of the inner world, as there is of the outer world.” quote by Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/franz-kafka-214_inner-world_how-pathetically-scanty-my-self-knowledg_1415105.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/franz-kafka-214_inner-world_how-pathetically-scanty-my-self-knowledg_1415105.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/franz-kafka-214_inner-world_how-pathetically-scanty-my-self-knowledg_1415105.jpg) > “How pathetically scanty my self-knowledge is compared with, say, my knowledge of my room. There is no such thing as observation of the inner world, as there is of the outer world.” [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑knowledge is elusive compared to external observation, highlighting inner world’s opacity. **In simple terms:** Inner self is hard to see. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of self‑awareness. Themes self‑reflection existentialism perception Mood introspective thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - therapy - creative writing - mindfulness practice Key Concepts psychology philosophy of mind Questions to Reflect On - How can we better understand our inner experiences? - What methods help bridge inner and outer awareness? A Different Perspective May lead to nihilistic or fatalistic attitudes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inner world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-world/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Knowledge Compared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-compared-3844083/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/) [Observation Inner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation-inner-4996864/) [Scanty Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scanty-self-3844081/) [Self knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-knowledge/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“How pathetically scanty my self-knowledge is compared with, say, my knowledge of my room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/how-pathetically-scanty-my-self-knowledge-is-compared-with-say-my/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [As you explore your inner world, your outer world will come more sharply into focus. As you face your imagined barriers, you will encounter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/as-you-explore-your-inner-world-your-outer-world-will-come-more/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [“Quiet people always know more than they seem. Although very normal, their inner world is by default fronted mysterious and therefore assumed weird. Never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/quiet-people-always-know-more-than-they-seem-although-very-normal/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Association with human beings lures one into self-observation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/association-with-human-beings-lures-one-into-self-observation/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [When you die you pass into inner worlds and continue to perceive. Death is not the dissolution of the self. Death is rather just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-you-die-you-pass-into-inner-worlds-and-continue-to-perceive/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“...only the one who knows and practices the iconoclastic fury of destruction can possess the joy born of freedom, of that unique freedom fertilized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-novatore/only-the-one-who-knows-and-practices-the-iconoclastic-fury-of/) [Renzo Novatore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-novatore/) > [“The key experiential approach I now use to induce non-ordinary states of consciousness and gain access to the unconscious and superconscious psyche is Holotropic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislav-grof/the-key-experiential-approach-i-now-use-to-induce-non-ordinary-states/) [Stanislav Grof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislav-grof/) > [“If the vibrant and frolicking merry-go-round of our daily living has been ousted by an eerie void of an intractable vacuum, only inspiriting memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/if-the-vibrant-and-frolicking-merry-go-round-of-our-daily-living-has/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [“And I don't want to live like a fleeting shadow, a consumptive, no. 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By the time you finish this book, you will have a deeper understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-papian/when-you-dream-you-are-creating-the-future-your-inner-world-by-the/) [Ruben Papian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-papian/) > [Feelings and thoughts do not define who we are; they are just part of the weather of our inner world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-daishin-buksbazen/feelings-and-thoughts-do-not-define-who-we-are-they-are-just-part-of/) [John Daishin Buksbazen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-daishin-buksbazen/) > [Half of humanity has been accepting the inner world but denying the outer world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/half-of-humanity-has-been-accepting-the-inner-world-but-denying-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [All ballet, all reading, all music. That was my world, my inner world,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-makarova/all-ballet-all-reading-all-music-that-was-my-world-my-inner-world/) [Natalia Makarova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-makarova/) > [“Her silent singing wrapped around the story she was telling herself, which she extended further every night on the deck. (Averill often told herself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/her-silent-singing-wrapped-around-the-story-she-was-telling-herself/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) ## More by Franz Kafka > [ “The tremendous world I have inside my head. But how \[to\] free myself and free it without being torn to pieces. And a thousand… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/the-tremendous-world-i-have-inside-my-head-but-how-to-free-myself-and/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [What I write is different from what I say, what I say is different from what I think, what I think is different from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/what-i-write-is-different-from-what-i-say-what-i-say-is-different/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“A fine setting for a fit of despair,” it occurred to him, “if I were only standing here by accident instead of design.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/a-fine-setting-for-a-fit-of-despair-it-occurred-to-him-if-i-were-only/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“Ali svi se slažu u tome da se ne podižu lakomislene optužbe i da se sud, kad jedanput nekog optuži i kad je uvjeren…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/ali-svi-se-sla-u-u-tome-da-se-ne-podi-u-lakomislene-optu-be-i-da-se/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [My job is unbearable to me because it conflicts with my only desire and my only calling, which is literature. Since I am nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/my-job-is-unbearable-to-me-because-it-conflicts-with-my-only-desire/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Faith, like a guillotine. As heavy, as light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/faith-like-a-guillotine-as-heavy-as-light/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [You need not even listen, just wait...the world will offer itself freely to you, unmasking itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/you-need-not-even-listen-just-wait-the-world-will-offer-itself-freely/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“I will cross hundreds of seas and oceans without sinking to reach you, see your eyes and sink completely into their depths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/i-will-cross-hundreds-of-seas-and-oceans-without-sinking-to-reach-you/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [I have no memory for things I have learned, nor things I have read, nor things experienced or heard, neither for people nor events;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/i-have-no-memory-for-things-i-have-learned-nor-things-i-have-read-nor/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“This sounds crazy, but it is so. Nor is it perhaps really love when I say that for me you are the most beloved;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/this-sounds-crazy-but-it-is-so-nor-is-it-perhaps-really-love-when-i/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [The more horses you yoke the quicker everything will go - not the rending of the block from its foundation, which is impossible, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/the-more-horses-you-yoke-the-quicker-everything-will-go-not-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Martyrs do not underrate the body, they allow it to be elevated on the cross. In this they are at one with their antagonists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/martyrs-do-not-underrate-the-body-they-allow-it-to-be-elevated-on-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [The true way goes over a line that, rather than spanning heights, is hardly above the ground. It appears more decidedly to make one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/the-true-way-goes-over-a-line-that-rather-than-spanning-heights-is/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Every new discovery is assumed at once into the sum total of knowledge, and with that ceases in a sense to be a discovery;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/every-new-discovery-is-assumed-at-once-into-the-sum-total-of/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“Sou de pedra. Sou a minha própria pedra tumular, sem nenhum interstício para a dúvida ou para a fé, para o amor ou para…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/sou-de-pedra-sou-a-minha-pr-pria-pedra-tumular-sem-nenhum-interst-cio/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) [Explore all 741 Franz Kafka quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) ## More Inner world quotes > [“Her silent singing wrapped around the story she was telling herself, which she extended further every night on the deck. (Averill often told herself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/her-silent-singing-wrapped-around-the-story-she-was-telling-herself/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [All ballet, all reading, all music. 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By the time you finish this book, you will have a deeper understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-papian/when-you-dream-you-are-creating-the-future-your-inner-world-by-the/) [Ruben Papian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-papian/) > [The modern artist... is working and expressing an inner world - in other words - expressing the energy, the motion, and other inner forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-pollock/the-modern-artist-is-working-and-expressing-an-inner-world-in-other/) [Jackson Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-pollock/) > [“And I don't want to live like a fleeting shadow, a consumptive, no. I want to live genuinely, with the true warmth and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/and-i-don-t-want-to-live-like-a-fleeting-shadow-a-consumptive-no-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“If the vibrant and frolicking merry-go-round of our daily living has been ousted by an eerie void of an intractable vacuum, only inspiriting memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/if-the-vibrant-and-frolicking-merry-go-round-of-our-daily-living-has/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [“The key experiential approach I now use to induce non-ordinary states of consciousness and gain access to the unconscious and superconscious psyche is Holotropic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislav-grof/the-key-experiential-approach-i-now-use-to-induce-non-ordinary-states/) [Stanislav Grof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislav-grof/) > [“...only the one who knows and practices the iconoclastic fury of destruction can possess the joy born of freedom, of that unique freedom fertilized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-novatore/only-the-one-who-knows-and-practices-the-iconoclastic-fury-of/) [Renzo Novatore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-novatore/) > [When you die you pass into inner worlds and continue to perceive. Death is not the dissolution of the self. Death is rather just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-you-die-you-pass-into-inner-worlds-and-continue-to-perceive/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [ “Men who read a lot have a more sensitive disposition, added Fowler. \[...\] I did not know what to say to this. Maybe reading… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/men-who-read-a-lot-have-a-more-sensitive-disposition-added-fowler-i/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Take some time each day to bring clarity to your inner world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/take-some-time-each-day-to-bring-clarity-to-your-inner-world/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [The inner world is the world of your requirements and your energies and your structure and your possibilities that meets the outer world. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-inner-world-is-the-world-of-your-requirements-and-your-energies/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [I am furious at all the letters to answer, when all I want to do is think and write poems. ... I long for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sarton/i-am-furious-at-all-the-letters-to-answer-when-all-i-want-to-do-is/) [May Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sarton/) [Browse all 251 Inner world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How pathetically scanty my self-knowledge is compared with, say, my knowledge of my room. 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