--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man cannot persist long in a conscious…" description: "\"Man cannot persist long in a conscious state, he must throw himself back into the unconscious, for his root lives there.\" — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe-36_conscious_man-cannot-persist-long-in-a-conscious-s_2015198.jpg" --- # Man cannot persist long in a conscious state, he must… ![“Man cannot persist long in a conscious state, he must throw himself back into the unconscious, for his root lives there.” quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe-36_conscious_man-cannot-persist-long-in-a-conscious-s_2015198.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe-36_conscious_man-cannot-persist-long-in-a-conscious-s_2015198.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe-36_conscious_man-cannot-persist-long-in-a-conscious-s_2015198.jpg) > “Man cannot persist long in a conscious state, he must throw himself back into the unconscious, for his root lives there.” [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Goethe claims that sustained conscious awareness is exhausting, and people naturally retreat to the unconscious where their deeper self resides. **In simple terms:** Consciousness is tiring; the unconscious is our root. Key Takeaway Honor both conscious effort and unconscious insight. Themes psychology self balance Mood introspective calm Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - meditation - creative work - therapy - dream analysis Key Concepts consciousness unconscious mind Questions to Reflect On - How can we harmonize conscious work with unconscious inspiration? - What practices nurture this balance? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on unconscious can neglect practical action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roots/) ## Related quotes > [We live in a cluttered culture, a culture of information in which even our computers can't tell us what's worth knowing and what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-c-boyle/we-live-in-a-cluttered-culture-a-culture-of-information-in-which-even/) [T.C. Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-c-boyle/) > [“Man's conscious state is an awareness of body and breath. His subconscious state, active in sleep, is associated with his mental, and temporary, separation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/man-s-conscious-state-is-an-awareness-of-body-and-breath-his/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [Remember, when we're conscious of something, that state is quite often generated by unconscious processes that happen right before it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-boyden/remember-when-we-re-conscious-of-something-that-state-is-quite-often/) [Edward Boyden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-boyden/) > [We cannot remain long in a conscious state or in consciousness, we must take refuge again in the unconscious since there are our roots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-cannot-remain-long-in-a-conscious-state-or-in-consciousness-we/) [Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“conscious states somehow reflect physical states in the brain. Put in its crudest form, a brain scientist who knew the state of our brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barbour/conscious-states-somehow-reflect-physical-states-in-the-brain-put-in/) [Julian Barbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barbour/) > [“Thoughts come back; beliefs persist; facts pass by never to return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/thoughts-come-back-beliefs-persist-facts-pass-by-never-to-return/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [No one can take from us the joy of the first becoming aware of something, the so-called discovery. But if we also demand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/no-one-can-take-from-us-the-joy-of-the-first-becoming-aware-of/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [What you resist will persist; what you befriend, you will transcend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/what-you-resist-will-persist-what-you-befriend-you-will-transcend/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [I will persist. I will always take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-will-persist-i-will-always-take-another-step-if-that-is-of-no-avail/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [The Church must persist in the teaching transmitted to her by Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-church-must-persist-in-the-teaching-transmitted-to-her-by-christ/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [In the midst of darkness, light persists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/in-the-midst-of-darkness-light-persists/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [There are people who want to become rich; they become rich. If you persist you can fulfill any kind of stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/there-are-people-who-want-to-become-rich-they-become-rich-if-you/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Sometimes you make up your mind about something without knowing why, and your decision persists by the power of inertia. Every year it gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/sometimes-you-make-up-your-mind-about-something-without-knowing-why/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“If you start and persist you will succeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/if-you-start-and-persist-you-will-succeed/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) ## More by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I never believed in trying to do anything. Whatever I set out to do I found I had already accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-never-believed-in-trying-to-do-anything-whatever-i-set-out-to-do-i/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [All lyrical work must, as a whole, be perfectly intelligible, but in some particulars a little unintelligible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/all-lyrical-work-must-as-a-whole-be-perfectly-intelligible-but-in/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-know-accurately-only-when-we-know-little-with-knowledge-doubt/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [It is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/it-is-easier-to-perceive-error-than-to-find-truth-for-the-former-lies/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [There is no patriotic art and no patriotic science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/there-is-no-patriotic-art-and-no-patriotic-science/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The connoisseur of art must be able to appreciate what is simply beautiful, but the common run of people is satisfied with ornament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-connoisseur-of-art-must-be-able-to-appreciate-what-is-simply/) [Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Nothing is worse than active ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/nothing-is-worse-than-active-ignorance/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Let us not dream that reason can ever be popular. 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We are not always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/whatever-we-may-say-against-collections-which-present-authors-in-a/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) [Explore all 2,052 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) ## More Conscious quotes > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [Woman, in short, has an unconscious life, man a conscious life, and the genius the most conscious life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/woman-in-short-has-an-unconscious-life-man-a-conscious-life-and-the/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? 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