The perfect man of pagans was the perfection of the man there is; the perfect man of christians, the perfection of the man there isn't; the buddhists' perfect man, the perfection of not existing a man.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Pessoa contrasts religious ideals: pagans seek human perfection, Christians seek divine absence, Buddhists seek non-existence.
- In plain terms
- Different religions define a perfect man by what he lacks or ceases to be.
- What can you take from it?
- Ideals often define perfection by what we remove from being human.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What defines a perfect person?
- Which ideal appeals to you?
Another view
Religious comparisons may oversimplify complex traditions.
More from Fernando Pessoa
The end is low, like all quantitative ends, personal or not, and it can be attained and verified.
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