Again and again Quote by Peter L. Berger
“On the one hand, man is a body, in the same way that this may be said of every other animal organism. On the other hand, man has a body. That is, man experiences himself as an entity that is not identical with his body, but that, on the contrary, has that body at its disposal. In other words, man's experience of himself always hovers in a balance between being and having a body, a balance that must be redressed again and again.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Social Construction of Reality, Peter L. Berger & Thomas Luckmann, 1966
Humans view themselves both as bodies they possess and as entities that use those bodies, creating a continual tension between being and having a body.
In simple terms: We see ourselves as both owners and users of our bodies, creating a tension.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and balance the dual perspective of embodiment.
Themes
identity
embodiment
philosophy
selfhood
Mood
contemplative
introspective
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- therapy
- mindfulness practice
- ethical decision making
Key Concepts
dualism
phenomenology
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does your perception of your body affect your choices?
- Can you integrate both perspectives in daily life?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on either side can lead to alienation or neglect of physical needs.
![“the ordinary man's experience is chaotic, irregular, fragmentary. [He] falls in love or reads Spinoza, and these two experiences have nothing to do with each other, or with the noise of the typewriter, or the smell of cooking; in the mind of the poet these experiences are always forming new wholes” quote by T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/18e/t-s-eliot-633_art_the-ordinary-man-s-experience-is-chaotic_93688.jpg)
