Follow heaven and forsake the self.
智に働けば角が立つ。情に棹させば流される。意地を通せば窮屈だ。とかくに人の世は住みにくい。
Writers & Literary Figures
Natsume Sōseki
Natsume Soseki (1867-1916) is Japan's most celebrated modern novelist, known for masterworks such as 'Kokoro,' 'Botchan,' and 'I Am a Cat.' A scholar of English literature who studied in London, he fused Western literary techniques with Japanese sensibility to create psychologically penetrating novels that explore the isolation of the modern individual.
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Natsume Sōseki's Other Quotes
Even those who appear carefree, when you tap the depths of their hearts, give off a sorrowful sound somewhere within.
You cannot receive benefit from others without exposing your weaknesses. You cannot give benefit to others without exposing your weaknesses.
If you work by reason, you grow rough-edged. If you follow your feelings, you get swept away. If you insist on having your way, you feel boxed in. In any case, the human world is hard to live in.
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