Confidence Quote by Rainer Maria Rilke
““There comes a time when we have deposited in it all our firstlings, all beginning, all confidence, the seeds of all that which might perhaps some day come to be. And suddenly we realize: All that has sunk into a deep sea, and we don't even know just when. We never noticed it. As though some one were to collect all his money, and buy a feather with it and stick the feather in his hat: whish!--the first breeze will carry it away. Naturally he arrives home without his feather, and nothing remains for him but to look back and think when it would have flown.””
About This Quote
Source Poetry: Collected Poems, 1908
We invest our hopes and identity into something, then lose track of it, realizing its fragility only after it's gone.
In simple terms: We pour ourselves into something, then lose it.
Key Takeaway
Recognize impermanence and cherish present moments.
Themes
impermanence
identity
loss
reflection
Mood
melancholic
contemplative
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- creative projects
- relationships
- financial investments
- personal growth
Key Concepts
existentialism
attachment
transience
Questions to Reflect On
- What do you hold onto without awareness?
- How can you honor fleeting moments?
A Different Perspective
Our attachments can be fragile and unnoticed.
