Children Quote by Gene Wolfe
““No intellect is needed to see those figures who wait beyond the void of death – every child is aware of them, blazing with glories dark or bright, wrapped in authority older than the universe. They are the stuff of our earliest dreams, as of our dying visions. Rightly we feel our lives guided by them, and rightly too we feel how little we matter to them, the builders of the unimaginable, the fighters of wars beyond the totality of existence. The difficulty lies in learning that we ourselves encompass forces equally great. We say, “I will,” and “I will not,” and imagine ourselves (though we obey the orders of some prosaic person every day) our own masters, when the truth is that our masters are sleeping. One wakes within us and we are ridden like beasts, though the rider is but some hitherto unguessed part of ourselves.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, 1980-1983
The passage reflects on humanity's sense of awe toward cosmic forces and the inner power we often overlook, suggesting we are both guided by and capable of shaping vast, unknowable forces.
In simple terms: We feel small compared to cosmic forces but also hold great inner power.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and harness your inner strength.
Themes
existence
power
humanity
cosmic
self
knowledge
Mood
awe
introspective
enigmatic
Type
philosophical
literary
reflective
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- creative writing
- philosophical discourse
- spiritual contemplation
- psychological insight
Key Concepts
mythic archetypes
inner mastery
cosmic scale
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance humility before the cosmos with personal agency?
- What inner forces have you ignored?
A Different Perspective
Even if we feel guided by larger forces, we must act responsibly with our own power.
![“...in some situations winning consist[s] of disentangling oneself.” quote by Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/66a/gene-wolfe-2530_oneself_in-some-situations-winning-consist-s-of_219805.jpg)
