Consciousness Quote by Walker Percy
““In some evolving civilizations, for reasons which we don't entirely understand, the evolution of consciousness is attended by a disaster of some sort which occurs shortly after the Sy breakthrough. It has something to do with the discovery of the self and the incapacity to deal with it, the consciousness becoming self-conscious but not knowing what to do with the self, not even knowing what its self is, and so ending by being that which is not, and making others what they are not.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy, 1971
Self‑awareness can cause crisis when consciousness confronts its own limits.
In simple terms: Self‑knowledge can be destabilizing.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate humility with self‑exploration.
Themes
consciousness
identity
crisis
growth
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- therapy
- education
- spiritual practice
- creative work
Key Concepts
philosophy
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you handle new self‑insights?
- What supports help navigate consciousness?
A Different Perspective
Not all self‑discovery leads to disaster; support matters.
![“[In art] you are telling the reader or the listener or the viewer something he already knows but which he doesn't quite know that he knows, so that in the action of communication he experiences a recognition, a feeling that he has been there before, a shock of recognition.” quote by Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3f1/walker-percy-1958_action_in-art-you-are-telling-the-reader-or-the_116938.jpg)
