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Life Quote by Sheldon B. Kopp

“Unwilling to tolerate life’s ambiguity, its unresolvability, its inevitability, we search for certainty, demanding that someone else must provide it. Stubbornly, relentlessly, we seek the wise man, the wizard, the good parent, someone else who will show us the way. Surely someone must know. It…” quote by Sheldon B. Kopp
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““Unwilling to tolerate life’s ambiguity, its unresolvability, its inevitability, we search for certainty, demanding that someone else must provide it. Stubbornly, relentlessly, we seek the wise man, the wizard, the good parent, someone else who will show us the way. Surely someone must know. It simply cannot be that life is just what it appears to be, that there are no hidden meanings, that this is it, just this and nothing more. It’s not fair, not enough! We cannot possibly bear having to live life as it is, without reassurance, without being special, without even being offered some comforting explanations. Come on now! Come across! You’ve got to give us something to make it all right. The medicine tastes lousy. Why should we have to swallow it just because it’s the only thing we can do? Can’t you at least promise us that we will have to take it just once, that it won’t taste that bad, that we will feel just fine immediately afterward, that we will be glad we took it? No? Well then, surely, at least you have to give us a lollipop for being good. But what if we are talking to ourselves? What if there is no one out there listening? What if for each of us the only wise man, the only wizard, the only good parent we will ever have is our own helpless, vulnerable self? What then?””

Sheldon B. Kopp

About This Quote

People seek external certainty and comfort, fearing life's ambiguity and meaninglessness, but must confront their own inner wisdom.

In simple terms: We look for outside answers to life's uncertainty.

Key Takeaway

Embrace inner resilience and accept ambiguity.

Themes

uncertainty search for meaning self-reliance existential anxiety

Mood

contemplative introspective

Type

philosophical psychological

When to use this quote

  • personal crises
  • therapy
  • creative pursuits
  • spiritual practice

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology spirituality

Questions to Reflect On

  • What inner resources can you develop?
  • How do you cope with ambiguity without external validation?
A Different Perspective

Relying on external sources can delay personal growth.

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