No one who, like me, conjures up the most evil of those half-tamed demons that inhabit the human beast, and seeks to wrestle with them, can expect to come through the struggle unscathed.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Freud warns that confronting the darkest aspects of human nature inevitably leaves one scarred.
- In plain terms
- Facing the worst parts of human nature will hurt you in the process.
- What can you take from it?
- Exploring deep human darkness requires accepting personal cost.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What is the price of truth?
- Can we study darkness without being changed?
Another view
Not everyone engaging with difficult topics suffers permanent harm.
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