Our lives are limited, while knowledge is not. Pursuing the unlimited with the limited would be tiring. If you already knew that, it would be even more tiring.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Human life is finite, but knowledge is infinite. Chasing all knowledge with a limited life is exhausting. Knowing this is even more tiring.
- In plain terms
- You can't know everything with a limited life.
- What can you take from it?
- Accept limits on knowledge.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What knowledge will you pursue?
- What will you let go of?
Another view
Some pursuits of knowledge are meaningful despite limits.
More from Zhuangzi
Nourish your middle by accepting what cannot be avoided: that's perfection.
Permalink to quote #18 Perfect people have no self, spiritual people have no accomplishment, and sagely people have no name.
Permalink to quote #20 Knowledge that stops at what it does not know is perfect.
Permalink to quote #17
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