"I keep a notebook as a journal to express all kinds of things that I hear, see and experience otherwise I'd go mad."
This quote by Nikos Kazantzakis underscores the importance of recording experiences, observations, and thoughts in a personal journal or notebook. He suggests that without such an outlet for expression, the accumulation of unprocessed sensory data could lead to mental instability. In essence, writing helps him maintain psychological balance by providing a means to reflect on and make sense of his surroundings, thus avoiding emotional overwhelm.
"The only ones who can do what they want are the ones who know what they want."
This quote suggests that having a clear understanding of one's desires or goals is essential to achieving them. Those individuals who possess self-awareness regarding their aspirations have the power to make choices and take actions aligned with those objectives, thus enabling them to do what they truly want in life. It underscores the importance of introspection, self-knowledge, and purposeful decision-making in attaining personal fulfillment.
"Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best."
This quote suggests that true, lasting happiness doesn't stem from effortlessly completing simple tasks, but rather from the sense of accomplishment and personal growth that comes after undertaking and overcoming challenging tasks that required our utmost effort and abilities. The satisfaction derived from such difficulties is what fuels happiness and personal fulfillment in life.
"Man's basic vitality is to be found in dreaming, in his soul's imagining what it would like to be independently, individually, and personally. The moment he ceases to dream he ceases to live."
Nikos Kazantzakis suggests that the fundamental life force in humans lies in their ability to dream and imagine. These dreams are expressions of one's individual identity, serving as a means to explore personal growth and self-realization. When people stop dreaming, they effectively halt living, as their existence becomes stagnant and devoid of purpose or ambition. Dreaming fuels the human spirit, motivating us to strive for independence, creativity, and fulfillment in our lives.
"To feel is a human duty."
Nikos Kazantzakis' quote, "To feel is a human duty," emphasizes the importance of emotional connection in the human experience. He suggests that experiencing emotions is not just a luxury or optional aspect of life, but rather an essential human obligation. In essence, he encourages people to be fully engaged with their feelings and emotions, as they are integral parts of what it means to be human. This perspective encourages empathy, understanding, and personal growth, promoting a more connected and compassionate world.
A weak soul does not have the endurance to resist the flesh for very long. It grows heavy, becomes flesh itself, and the contest ends. But among responsible men, men who keep their eyes riveted day and night upon the Supreme Duty, the conflict between flesh and spirit breaks out mercilessly and may last until death.
- Nikos Kazantzakis
I knew that no matter what door you knock on in a Cretan village, it will be opened for you. A meal will be served in your honor, and you will sleep between the best sheets in the house. In Crete, the stranger is still the unknown god. Before him, all doors and all hearts are opened.
- Nikos Kazantzakis
The struggle between God and man breaks out in everyone, together with the longing for reconciliation... God does not love weak souls and flabby flesh. The spirit desires to wrestle with flesh which is strong and full of resistance. It is a carnivorous bird which is incessantly hungry; it eats flesh and, by assimilating it, makes it disappear.
- Nikos Kazantzakis
That part of Christ's nature which was profoundly human helps us to understand him and love him and to pursue his Passion as though it were our own. If he had not within him this warm human element, he would never be able to touch our hearts with such assurance and tenderness; he would not be able to become a model for our lives.
- Nikos Kazantzakis
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