The phrases of José Ortega y Gasset are an invitation to reflection and questioning, they are a gift for those who want to delve into their metaphors and their ingenious phrases. Ortega y Gasset (1883–1955) was a Spanish philosopher and writer associated with the theory of perspectivism, Thracianvitalism and the movement of cultural and artistic renewal against modernism, known as the 19th century.
His thinking had a great influence on several generations of intellectuals; In addition, he was not only a brilliant driver, but he also delve into various fields of knowledge, including philosophy, psychology, art and literature; his style is considered elegant and original, especially his philosophical discourse. Proof of this are works such as “The Theme of Our Time?”(1923) or?Mass rebellion? (1929) To get to know him a little more thoroughly, let’s look at some of his sentences.
“Walk slowly, don’t hurry, because the only place you should get to is yourself.
This is one of the most valuable quotes by José Ortega y Gasset. Fate is not a place, neither a work nor a moment. This is not the way of our dreams, but reconciliation with ourselves. The exact point where we find our true essence. .
Sometimes we forget that the most important thing is not what is there, but within each of us What is the meaning of the realization of the life we wanted, of the life we dreamed of?And then we don’t include in it. ? We often reverse order and prioritize external objectives, thinking that in the future we will have time to get to know each other, we postpone the basics: approaching others.
“Man’s true treasure is the treasure of his mistakes. “
A mistake is a bridge to learning, the opportunity to improve what went wrong at some point. A treasure, as Ortega y Gasset expresses, full of wisdom.
From our mistakes changes and growth are built, you just need to learn to see them. Mistakes are human, we all make them, it’s almost impossible to escape. In fact, we cannot control them because we are not perfect, but we can choose what attitude we will take to face them.
Mistakes are great teachers, just give them a try. They tell us the way forward and the strategy to improve. There is a world to decipher of them, and they all contain a challenge.
“There are as many realities as there are views, is it the point of view that creates the panorama ?.
One of the phrases of José Ortega y Gasset to remember in our conversations with other people, each person creates a world, his world, and from it filters everything that happens around him, this generates many misunderstandings and sometimes it is very difficult to understand each one. Other.
The beautiful and enriching of our relationships is to appreciate the nuances found in each of the views and views that surround us. It’s magic, mystery. A reality that multiplies and depends on the viewer’s gaze.
“It’s only possible to move forward looking the other way
Ortega y Gasset has clearly seen this problem: moving forward is about thinking big and believing that anything is possible, if we restrict our thinking our dreams will be greatly reduced.
In terms of projects, goals and objectives, the impossible word must fit the list of meanings we are dealing with. Because if we reduce our field of view, it’s normal that we don’t get what we want. There’s a world of possibilities, you just need to find your way. This is the challenge.
“Whenever you teach, also learn to doubt what is taught. “
Another line of Ortega and Gasset that must be taken into account, especially in the educational field, if we want free adults and able to make their own decisions, learning to doubt is essential.
To impose an idea is to shorten the field of knowledge, so vast and unlimited; however, teaching ourselves to question not only others, but ourselves, is also the key to knowledge, the gateway to the richness of diversity of perspectives. Doubt is fundamental to building, liberating ideas.
“Many men, like children, want something, but not its consequences. “
Taking responsibility for the consequences of our actions implies emotional maturity, knowing that a decision implies more than the time of choice is fundamental, often things last much longer than when they happen, knowing what to do with the path they leave allows us to move forward, to organize ourselves and not get lost.
Those who do not take responsibility live in instability, victimization and guilt. He doesn’t know what action to take and not even what he’s already done. Movements motivated by whims and impulses, like a child. Obviously when you have what you want it will also be important to know what to do with this path.
“Knowing you don’t know is perhaps the hardest and most difficult thing to know.
Perhaps one of the most complicated phrases of José Ortega y Gasset, which requires great humility on our part to accept it, but one of the wisest. Recognizing our limits, accepting that we know something like a drop of water in an immense ocean is fundamental.
What do we really know? Whoever thinks he knows everything does not go further, for he is ashamed of his pride, on the other hand who humbly accepts his ignorance approaches the next step in continuing to discover everything around him.
As we see, the phrases of Ortega and Gasset are a call to reflection and questioning, words to use if we want to break the rigidity of our thinking.