7 Revealing Phrases By Fernando Pessoa
Discover some phrases by Fernando Pessoa, one of the greatest poets of all times. He was born in Portugal and lived between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. For some, he is one of the most enigmatic figures in literature. For others, a magician who delved into the depths of the human soul and left a legacy of many intelligent and full of wisdom verses.
One of Pessoa’s most mysterious aspects was his obsession with using heteronyms: fictional characters who figured as the authors of his work. Some of the best known were Alberto Caeiro, Álvaro de Campos, Bernardo Soares and Ricardo Reis. He himself published criticisms against the alleged authors, when in fact he was talking about the works themselves.
Interestingly, these heteronyms were not simple pseudonyms or signatures. Each of these personalities had their own characteristics and style. Some scholars of his work also sometimes question whether Fernando Pessoa was his true identity. Anyway, he left an extraordinary job. Find out below seven phrases by Fernando Pessoa that invite us to reflect.
Unconsciousness, a recurrent theme in Fernando Pessoa’s sentences
Fernando Pessoa’s work and phrases are very close to philosophy. His reflections are journeys through the logic of existence. In this sentence, for example, he demonstrates the paradox of thinking and not thinking: “The awareness of the unconsciousness of life is the oldest tax that falls on intelligence”.
This sentence makes an impact because it demonstrates a basic contradiction. It is through intelligence and awareness that we perceive the existence of unconsciousness. Unconsciousness is inaccessible since it is unconscious and as such does not have full access to reason. So we only know what we ignore.
A way of looking at the world
The look defines the identity and, at the same time, the identity defines the look. Therefore, the two realities are always together. This is reflected in one of his wonderful phrases: “Because I am the size of what I see, not the size of my height”.
This means that the wider the gaze, the greater greatness there is in the person looking. And the opposite is also true: those who have a short range of vision are invaded by smallness. Height, in a figurative sense, defines the way of seeing reality.
Know yourself and reflect
Fernando Pessoa fought for and against thought. This frees and imprisons: it grants the joy of understanding, but, at the same time, it takes away the freshness of life, as the poet recognizes in this sentence: “Not knowing anything about yourself, this is living. Knowing a lot about yourself, that’s thinking”.
What he wants to tell us is that the truest life is simply lived. This is fullness. On the other hand, thinking is a limited exercise, which only leads to partial results and deprives us of fully experiencing our existence. Life is stronger than thought.
the traps of love
Fernando Pessoa defines love as a construction of thought, something imaginary. This is evidenced in his sentence: “We never love anyone: we only love the idea we have of someone. What we love is our concept, that is, we love ourselves”.
Ultimately, he asserts that love is a selfish projection. We see in each other what we want or need to see. His reality eludes us and we will never know exactly what he is like. We just defined it and fell in love with this idea.
An exception for which there is no rule
For Pessoa, each individual is an infinite reality. There is no possibility of building generalizations valid for each and every one. So in one of his writings he said: “There are no rules. All men are exceptions to a rule that does not exist”.
The denial of a standard common to human beings means an exaltation of individual particularity. Although we seem to share common characteristics, each person is a different and unique world. In this sense, there is no way to create a rule that can be applied to everyone.
Success and its mysteries
For this famous Portuguese poet, success is built: “Success is in being successful, not in having the conditions for success. Any large land is able to house a palace, but… where will the palace be if they don’t build it there?”
With this wonderful phrase, Fernando Pessoa ignores the concept of talent as potential. It is not your virtues or abilities that define your talent, it is your works that determine your abilities.
Death, an eternal theme
About death, Pessoa states the following: “For me, when I see a dead person, death seems to me a prank. The corpse gives me the impression of an abandoned outfit. Someone who is gone and no longer needed that one outfit he wore during his life.”
This beautiful phrase talks about the body as a facade of what we are. In death there is no longer anyone’s presence. What the person is is not represented in the corpse. The one who died is simply not anymore.
Anyone who reads Fernando Pessoa’s works and phrases will never forget him. In them an exceptional sensitivity and an admirable lucidity are mixed. In your verses and texts, there are wonderful revelations that really move us.
