I thought that my invincible power would hold the world captive, leaving me in a freedom undisturbed. Thus night and day I worked at the chain with huge fires and cruel hard strokes. When at last the work was done and the links were complete and unbreakable, I found that it held me in its grip. ~ 31
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Trying to control the world through force ends up trapping the controller themselves.
- In plain terms
- Power built through force and control can end up imprisoning the person who wields it.
- What can you take from it?
- Control often traps the controller as much as the controlled.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What chains have you built that now bind you?
- Is your drive for control serving you or trapping you?
Another view
Sometimes firm boundaries are necessary, even if they feel constraining.
More from Rabindranath Tagore
When old words die out on the tongue, new melodies break forth from the heart; and where the old tracks are lost, new country is revealed with its wonders. ~ 37
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