--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The union of opposites, in so far as they…" description: "\"The union of opposites, in so far as they are really complementary, always results in the most perfect harmony; and the seemingly incongruous is often ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/stefan-zweig-811_complementary_the-union-of-opposites-in-so-far-as-they_192368.jpg" --- # The union of opposites, in so far as they are really… ![“The union of opposites, in so far as they are really complementary, always results in the most perfect harmony; and the seemingly incongruous is often the most natural.” quote by Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/stefan-zweig-811_complementary_the-union-of-opposites-in-so-far-as-they_192368.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/stefan-zweig-811_complementary_the-union-of-opposites-in-so-far-as-they_192368.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/stefan-zweig-811_complementary_the-union-of-opposites-in-so-far-as-they_192368.jpg) > “The union of opposites, in so far as they are really complementary, always results in the most perfect harmony; and the seemingly incongruous is often the most natural.” [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Opposite elements can complement each other, creating harmony and naturalness. **In simple terms:** Contrasts often work together well. Key Takeaway Embrace complementary differences. Themes harmony contrasts complementarity Mood inspirational analytical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - team building - design - conflict resolution - artistic composition Key Concepts dialectics systems theory Questions to Reflect On - How can you find balance in opposing ideas? - When do differences enhance outcomes? A Different Perspective Opposites can cause tension if not integrated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmony/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) [Perfect harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-harmony/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) ## Related quotes > [“union of opposites to form human nature was just what human beings told themselves to rationalize away their imperfections. Maybe it was just too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/union-of-opposites-to-form-human-nature-was-just-what-human-beings/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“She (Tamara Thorne) has this fascinating way of wrapping herself around the things I write and bringing out the best in my writing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-cross/she-tamara-thorne-has-this-fascinating-way-of-wrapping-herself-around/) [Alistair Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-cross/) > [“IT IS YOUR JOB TO PROTECT THE UNITY OF YOUR CHURCH. Unity in the church is so important that the New Testament gives more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/it-is-your-job-to-protect-the-unity-of-your-church-unity-in-the/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [As Eastern thought has begun to interest a significant number of people, and meditation is no longer viewed with ridicule or suspicion, mysticism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/as-eastern-thought-has-begun-to-interest-a-significant-number-of/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [“If you listen with your heart and pure soul, you will hear the music of the cosmos, in perfect harmony. It is only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-lafferty/if-you-listen-with-your-heart-and-pure-soul-you-will-hear-the-music/) [Linda Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-lafferty/) > [“Existence is mathematical music, and all of us are the instruments playing the cosmic symphony. Our task is simple - to arrive not at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-madison/existence-is-mathematical-music-and-all-of-us-are-the-instruments/) Steve Madison > [Beauty is in the ideal of perfect harmony which is in the universal being; truth the perfect comprehension of the universal mind. We individuals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/beauty-is-in-the-ideal-of-perfect-harmony-which-is-in-the-universal/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Ballroom is two people dancing together to music, touching in perfect harmony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-du-beke/ballroom-is-two-people-dancing-together-to-music-touching-in-perfect/) [Anton du Beke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-du-beke/) > [Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/happiness-is-not-a-matter-of-intensity-but-of-balance-and-order-and/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“And above all, clothe yourself with love, which binds us all in perfect harmony.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colossians-3-14/and-above-all-clothe-yourself-with-love-which-binds-us-all-in-perfect/) Colossians 3 14 > [Can you feel the love tonight? The peace of the evening brings the world for once in perfect harmony with all it's living things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-lion-king/can-you-feel-the-love-tonight-the-peace-of-the-evening-brings-the/) [The Lion King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-lion-king/) > [It is said that a hundred gamecocks will live in perfect harmony together it you do not put a hen with them; and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-baldwin-longstreet/it-is-said-that-a-hundred-gamecocks-will-live-in-perfect-harmony/) [Augustus Baldwin Longstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-baldwin-longstreet/) > [The doctrine of eternal punishment is in perfect harmony with the savagery of the men who made the orthodox creeds. It is in harmony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/the-doctrine-of-eternal-punishment-is-in-perfect-harmony-with-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [The seed has no idea of being some particular plant, but it has its own form and is in perfect harmony with the ground,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-seed-has-no-idea-of-being-some-particular-plant-but-it-has-its/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [“Free Flowing Dialogue “Have you ever been engaged in a conversation which was so dynamic that you were both firing on all cylinders, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/free-flowing-dialogue-have-you-ever-been-engaged-in-a-conversation/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) ## More by Stefan Zweig > [“Madness,” he exclaimed to himself, in astonishment, faltering. “Madness! What do they want? Once again, once again!” War once again, war that had so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/madness-he-exclaimed-to-himself-in-astonishment-faltering-madness/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [It is never until one realizes that one means something to others that one feels there is any point or purpose in one's own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/it-is-never-until-one-realizes-that-one-means-something-to-others/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [“And if I am asked today to advise a young writer who has not yet made up his mind what way to go, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/and-if-i-am-asked-today-to-advise-a-young-writer-who-has-not-yet-made/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [“Live and let live” was the famous Viennese motto, which today still seems to me to be more humane than all the categorical imperatives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/live-and-let-live-was-the-famous-viennese-motto-which-today-still/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [“Değerli olan her zaman için gerçeğin yarısı değil, tamamıdır.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/de-erli-olan-her-zaman-i-in-ger-e-in-yar-s-de-il-tamam-d-r/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [One never gets to know a person's character better than by watching his behavior during decisive moments… It is always only danger which forces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/one-never-gets-to-know-a-person-s-character-better-than-by-watching/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [Names have a mysterious transforming power. Like a ring on a finger, a name may at first seem merely accidental, committing you to nothing;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/names-have-a-mysterious-transforming-power-like-a-ring-on-a-finger-a/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [There is no sense to a sacrifice after you come to feel that it is a sacrifice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/there-is-no-sense-to-a-sacrifice-after-you-come-to-feel-that-it-is-a/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [No guilt is forgotten so long as the conscience still knows of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/no-guilt-is-forgotten-so-long-as-the-conscience-still-knows-of-it/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [Nothing that has ever been thought and said with a clear mind and pure ethical strength is totally in vain; even if it comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/nothing-that-has-ever-been-thought-and-said-with-a-clear-mind-and/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [It is the way of youth that each fresh piece of knowledge of life should go to its head, and that once uplifted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/it-is-the-way-of-youth-that-each-fresh-piece-of-knowledge-of-life/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [“The truths that he finds may in the coming months or even the coming years be truths no more. He must be forever searching.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/the-truths-that-he-finds-may-in-the-coming-months-or-even-the-coming/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [The sight of a wedding always has a disturbing effect on young girls; at such moments a mysterious sense of solidarity with their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/the-sight-of-a-wedding-always-has-a-disturbing-effect-on-young-girls/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [“Lightly, caressingly, Marie Antoinette picked up the crown as a gift. She was still too young to know that life never gives anything for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/lightly-caressingly-marie-antoinette-picked-up-the-crown-as-a-gift-2/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [Each of us, even the lowliest and most insignificant among us, was uprooted from his innermost existence by the almost constant volcanic upheavals visited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/each-of-us-even-the-lowliest-and-most-insignificant-among-us-was/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) [Explore all 267 Stefan Zweig quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) ## More Complementary quotes > [Work and leisure are complementary parts of the same living process and cannot be separated without destroying the joy of work and the bliss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/work-and-leisure-are-complementary-parts-of-the-same-living-process/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Knowledge, Action and Devotion are complementary to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pandurang-shastri-athavale/knowledge-action-and-devotion-are-complementary-to-each-other/) [Pandurang Shastri Athavale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pandurang-shastri-athavale/) > [I've been very fortunate, because sometimes it's difficult to work with your spouse. But in our case, it's a great working relationship, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anousheh-ansari/i-ve-been-very-fortunate-because-sometimes-it-s-difficult-to-work/) [Anousheh Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anousheh-ansari/) > [The role of the leader is to foster mutual respect and build a complementary team where each strength is made productive and each weakness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/the-role-of-the-leader-is-to-foster-mutual-respect-and-build-a/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [I think passion and discipline are wonderful, complementary things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/i-think-passion-and-discipline-are-wonderful-complementary-things/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [The complementary movement towards divine love is growth in humility which is the acceptence of the reality about ourselves, our own weakness and limitations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-keating/the-complementary-movement-towards-divine-love-is-growth-in-humility/) [Thomas Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-keating/) > [We are looking for targets that have a tremendous strategic fit for the company. The colleges must have complementary education programs, have an excellent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-larson/we-are-looking-for-targets-that-have-a-tremendous-strategic-fit-for/) John Larson > [“Men and women are different, but they are a complementary pair. Men are as they are because women are as they are. Women are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-davies/men-and-women-are-different-but-they-are-a-complementary-pair-men-are/) Hugh Davies > [I agree with those who argue that it is possible to distil from the religions of the world their common values and relevance. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/i-agree-with-those-who-argue-that-it-is-possible-to-distil-from-the/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [Todd and I have a very complementary working style .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wood/todd-and-i-have-a-very-complementary-working-style/) [Sam Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wood/) > [We are members of a vast cosmic orchestra, in which each living instrument is essential to the complementary and harmonious playing of the whole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-boone/we-are-members-of-a-vast-cosmic-orchestra-in-which-each-living/) [J. Boone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-boone/) > [Science investigates, religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power, religion gives man wisdom which is control. Science deals mainly with facts, religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/science-investigates-religion-interprets-science-gives-man-knowledge/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I write across genres so I see them, more often, as complementary instead of separated by boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/i-write-across-genres-so-i-see-them-more-often-as-complementary/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [One could think of a person who seems to have two opposing and contradictory sides to his personality; but it turns out that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-alvarez-bravo/one-could-think-of-a-person-who-seems-to-have-two-opposing-and/) [Manuel Alvarez Bravo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-alvarez-bravo/) > [When you're working with vibes the music comes right in. The blend is perfect. So to me it was never a mismatch. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-perhacs/when-you-re-working-with-vibes-the-music-comes-right-in-the-blend-is/) [Linda Perhacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-perhacs/) Browse all 112 Complementary quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The union of opposites, in so far as they are really complementary, always results in the most perfect harmony; and the seemingly incongruous is often the most natural.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stefan Zweig" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/the-union-of-opposites-in-so-far-as-they-are-really-complementary/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Complementary" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/the-union-of-opposites-in-so-far-as-they-are-really-complementary/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/stefan-zweig-811_complementary_the-union-of-opposites-in-so-far-as-they_192368.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/stefan-zweig-811_complementary_the-union-of-opposites-in-so-far-as-they_192368.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/stefan-zweig-811_complementary_the-union-of-opposites-in-so-far-as-they_192368.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The union of opposites, in so far as they are really complementary, always results in the most perfect…” — Stefan Zweig", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Stefan Zweig", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The union of opposites, in so...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/the-union-of-opposites-in-so-far-as-they-are-really-complementary/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/the-union-of-opposites-in-so-far-as-they-are-really-complementary/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```