The closer the look one takes at a word, the greater the distance from which it looks back.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The more intensely you examine a word or symbol, the more distant its original meaning becomes.
- In plain terms
- Looking too closely at a word makes it harder to understand.
- What can you take from it?
- Overanalyzing can distance you from meaning.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does analysis help vs hurt?
- How do you find meaning?
Another view
Sometimes close reading reveals deeper truths rather than distance.
More from Karl Kraus
Stupidity is an elemental force for which no earthquake is a match.
Permalink to quote #40 The devil is an optimist if he thinks he can make people meaner.
Permalink to quote #42 Sentimental irony is a dog that bays at the moon while pissing on graves.
Permalink to quote #39
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