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Quote by Jacques Lusseyran

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Against the Pollution of the I: On the Gifts of Blindness, the Power of Poetry, and the Urgency of Awareness

In 'Against the Pollution of the I,' the author delves into the unique perspectives gained through the experience of blindness, highlighting how it can lead to profound insights and a deeper appreciation for the world. The book examines the power of poetry as a medium for expressing these insights, and underscores the importance of awareness in navigating life's challenges. more

Author

Jacques Lusseyran
Jacques Lusseyran

Jacques Lusseyran, born in September 1924 in France, was a renowned author whose works are known for their profound insight and concern for human nature. During World War II, he lost his sight due to the war, but he did not let this setback deter him from living. He continued to write and became an active participant in the French Resistance. more

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“I could no longer afford to be jealous or unfriendly, because, as soon as I was, a bandage came down over my eyes, and I was bound hand and foot and cast aside. All at once a black hole opened, and I was helpless inside it. But when I was happy and serene, approached people with confidence and thought well of them, I was rewarded with light.”

“Unhappiness, I saw then, comes to each of us because we think ourselves at the center of the world, because we have the miserable conviction the we alone suffer to the point of unbearable intensity. Unhappiness is always to feel oneself imprisoned in one's own skin, in one's own brain.”

“People often say that blindness sharpens hearing, but I don't think this is so. My ears were hearing no better, but I was making better use of them. Sight is a miraculous instrument offering us all the riches of physical life. But we get nothing in this world without paying for it, and in return for all the benefits that sight brings we are forced to give up others whose existence we don't even suspect. These were the gifts I received in such abundance.”