Active Quote by George Berkeley
“How often must I repeat, that I know or am conscious of my own being; and that I myself am not my ideas, but somewhat else, a thinking, active principle that perceives, knows, wills, and operates about ideas?”
About This Quote
Source Philosophical Treatise: Principles of Human Knowledge, 1710
The self is a perceiving, active agent distinct from ideas.
In simple terms: I am a thinking being, not my thoughts.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the active self beyond thoughts.
Themes
philosophy
self
consciousness
Mood
inquisitive
analytical
Type
philosophical
introspective
When to use this quote
- meditation
- creative work
- decision making
- education
Key Concepts
subjectivity
mind‑body problem
identity
Questions to Reflect On
- What distinguishes your self from your ideas?
- How does this view affect responsibility?
A Different Perspective
May overlook the influence of external factors on self.
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![“Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics - feel that [Kurt] Vonnegut started to repeat himself, to grow increasingly self-indulgent and meandering, and to sometimes just blather in his later work. But his books up…” quote by Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ed7/michael-dirda-3414_1960s_nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-li_13506.jpg)
![“[Christianity] neither enjoins the nastiness of the Cynic, nor the insensibility of the Stoic.” quote by George Berkeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9fa/george-berkeley-8287_christianity_christianity-neither-enjoins-the-nastine_218341.jpg)
![“[Tar water] is of a nature so mild and benign and proportioned to the human constitution, as to warm without heating, to cheer but not inebriate.” quote by George Berkeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b4b/george-berkeley-8287_benign_tar-water-is-of-a-nature-so-mild-and-ben_299364.jpg)
