In the modern world we are in a paradoxical situation; because although in theory man knows that he can extend his attention to something and then remove it, he very often does not do so. In many areas he does not look at something and then detach from it, and look at something else.Once he has found something to interest himself in, he cannot detach himself from it efficiently, and therefore he cannot be objective. Note that, in most if not all languages, we have words like 'objectivity' which leads people to imagine that they have it, or can easily use it. That is equivalent (in reality if not in theory) to saying 'I know the word gold, so I am rich.

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About Idries Shah

Idries Shah was a 20th-century afghan writer and sufi teacher. Idries Shah, also known as Idris Shah, Indries Shah, nĂ© Sayed Idries el-Hashimi and by the pen name Arkon Daraul, was an Afghan author, thinker and teacher in the Sufi tradition. Shah wrote over three dozen books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies. Read more on Wikipedia →

Themes

  • Knowledge — The pursuit of learning, understanding, and intellectual growth
  • Truth — Meditations on honesty, authenticity, and the search for truth
  • Wisdom — Timeless insights drawn from experience and reflection

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