Turgenev: The names for things don't come first. Words stagger after, hopelessly trying to become the sensation.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Words fail to capture sensations fully because they arrive after the feeling has occurred.
- In plain terms
- Language comes too late to describe what we feel.
- What can you take from it?
- Accept that language is limited compared to direct experience.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What sensation defies description?
- When did words fail you?
Another view
Feelings themselves can also be vague and hard to define.
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