You have all these fragments, like pieces of a puzzle, and you can place them together into large groups, but the groups don't go together no matter how you try, and then suddenly you get one fragment and it fits two different groups and then suddenly the two great groups are one. The relation of the mythos to insanity. That's a key fragment. I doubt whether anyone ever said that before. Insanity is the terra incognita surrounding the mythos. And he knew! He knew the Quality he talked about lay outside the mythos.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Finding a fragment that links two disparate groups reveals that the mythos and insanity are connected; understanding Quality lies beyond the mythos.
- In plain terms
- A key insight can unite separate ideas, showing the link between shared belief and madness.
- What can you take from it?
- Seek bridging concepts that integrate different perspectives.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When have you found a unifying insight?
- What made it compelling?
Another view
Not all connections are meaningful; some may be forced.
More from Robert M. Pirsig
The mythos-over-logos argument points to the fact that each child is born as ignorant as any caveman. What keeps the world from reverting to the Neandertal wit…
Permalink to quote #30 Religion isn't invented by man. Men are invented by religion. Men invent responses to Quality, and among these responses is an understanding of what they thems…
Permalink to quote #32 The solutions all are simple... after you have arrived at them. But they're simple only when you know already what they are.
Permalink to quote #29
Related quotes
Religion isn't invented by man. Men are invented by religion. Men invent responses to Quality, and among these responses is an understanding of what they thems…
Robert M. PirsigRobert M. Pirsig quote #32 Ordinarily he is insane, but he has lucid moments when he is only stupid.
Heinrich HeineHeinrich Heine quote #16 In our highly complex organic state we advanced organisms respond to our environment with an invention of many marvelous analogues. We invent earth and heavens…
Robert M. PirsigRobert M. Pirsig quote #26