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DON’T TRUST THE SENSES

“Heraclitus called self-deception an awful disease and eyesight a lying sense.”

- DIOGENES LAERTIUS, LIVES OF THE EMINENT PHILOSOPHERS

Summary:
Heraclitus warns that our senses and perceptions can be misleading, leading us to false conclusions about the world. We often trust what we see, hear, or feel without questioning its accuracy, but these impressions can be distorted by bias, emotions, or external influences. Self-deception is particularly dangerous because it blinds us to the truth, making us believe in illusions rather than reality.

Interpretation:
In everyday life, this means recognising that our first impressions and assumptions are not always reliable. For example, we might judge someone unfairly based on appearance or misinterpret a situation due to emotions clouding our judgment. Instead of blindly trusting our senses, we should practice critical thinking, seek different perspectives, and remain open to the possibility that we might be wrong. True wisdom comes from questioning what we perceive and striving for a deeper understanding beyond surface appearances.

 

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