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About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker claims seeing your own face is terrible, suggesting self-awareness or self-judgment is painful.
In plain terms
Looking at yourself can be terrifying.
What can you take from it?
Self-perception can be painful.

Where it applies

  • mental health
  • identity crises
  • introspection

Putting it to work

  • face yourself
  • seek feedback
  • practice acceptance

Questions to consider

  • What do you fear seeing in yourself?
  • Is self-awareness always good?

Another view

Some people find self-awareness empowering rather than terrible.

More from Fernando Pessoa

  1. I'd like to be in the country so that I'd could like being in the city.

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  2. In any spirit that isn't deformed there is the belief in God. In any spirit that is not deformed there isn't the belief in a particular God.

    Permalink to quote #157
  3. To travel? In order to travel it's enough to be. [...] Why travel? In Madrid, in Berlin, in Persia, in China, at the Poles both, where would I be but in myself…

    Permalink to quote #154

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