Language Quote by Paul Tillich
““Man lives 'in' meanings, in that which is valid logically, esthetically, religiously. The most fundamental expression of this fact is the language which gives man the power to abstract from the concretely given and, after having abstracted from it, to return to it, to interpret and transform it. The most vital being is the being which has the word and is by the word liberated from bondage to the given.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Systematic Theology, Volume I, 1951
Language lets humans abstract from concrete reality, interpret it, and transform it, freeing them from being constraints.
In simple terms: Words free us from being constraints.
Key Takeaway
Use language to reinterpret constraints.
Themes
philosophy
language
freedom
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- education
- creative writing
- therapy
- public speaking
Key Concepts
existentialism
semantics
interpretation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does language shape your perception of freedom?
- When have you felt liberated by a word?
A Different Perspective
Words can also mislead or oversimplify reality.
![“[American] conformism might approximate collectivism, not so much in economic respects, and not too much in political respects, but very much in the pattern of daily life and thought. Whether this will happen or not, and if it does to what degree, is partly dependent on the power of resistance in…” quote by Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9c1/paul-tillich-3183_collectivism_american-conformism-might-approximate-co_52875.jpg)
