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Dragons Quote by Rainer Maria Rilke

“We have no reason to mistrust our world, for it is not against us. Has it terrors, they are our terrors; has it abysses, those abysses belong to us; are dangers at hand, we must try to love them. And if we could only arrange our life according to that principle which counsels us that we must…” quote by Rainer Maria Rilke
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““We have no reason to mistrust our world, for it is not against us. Has it terrors, they are our terrors; has it abysses, those abysses belong to us; are dangers at hand, we must try to love them. And if we could only arrange our life according to that principle which counsels us that we must always hold to the difficult, then that which now seems to us the most alien will become what we most trust and find most faithful. How should we be able to forget those ancient myths that are at the beginning of all peoples, the myths about dragons that at the last moment turn into princesses; perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest being something helpless that wants help from us. So you must not be frightened if a sadness rises up before you larger than any you have ever seen; if a restiveness, like light and cloud shadows, passes over your hands and over all you do. You must think that something is happening with you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand; it will not let you fall. Why do you want to shut out of your life any uneasiness, any miseries, or any depressions? For after all, you do not know what work these conditions are doing inside you.””

Rainer Maria Rilke

About This Quote

Source Poem: The Book of Hours, 1905

Embrace fear and sadness as opportunities for growth, seeing threats as potential allies and transforming alien experiences into trusted companions.

In simple terms: Face fear, turn it into trust and growth.

Key Takeaway

Accept difficulty, seek hidden help.

Themes

courage transformation acceptance

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • grief counseling
  • creative work
  • personal crisis
  • spiritual practice

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology mythology

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you reframe a current fear as a source of strength?
  • What hidden gifts might lie within your sadness?
A Different Perspective

Fear can overwhelm and paralyze if not integrated.

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