Carol’s Favorite Quote of the Week (actually an entire passage from a chapter of one of my
favorite books)
“Perhaps the greatest faculty our minds possess is the
ability to cope with pain. Classic thinking teaches us of the four doors of the
mind, which everyone moves through according to their need.
First is the door of sleep. Sleep offers us a retreat from the world and all its pain. Sleep marks passing time, giving us distance from the things that have hurt us. When a person is wounded they will often fall unconscious. Similarly, someone who hears traumatic news will often swoon or faint. This is the mind's way of protecting itself from pain by stepping through the first door.
Second is the door of forgetting. Some wounds are too deep to heal, or too deep to heal quickly. In addition, many memories are simply painful, and there is no healing to be done. The saying 'time heals all wounds' is false. Time heals most wounds. The rest are hidden behind this door.
Third is the door of madness. There are times when the mind is dealt such a blow it hides itself in insanity. While this may not seem beneficial, it is. There are times when reality is nothing but pain, and to escape that pain the mind must leave reality behind.
Last is the door of death. The final resort. Nothing can hurt us after we are dead, or so we have been told.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind
First is the door of sleep. Sleep offers us a retreat from the world and all its pain. Sleep marks passing time, giving us distance from the things that have hurt us. When a person is wounded they will often fall unconscious. Similarly, someone who hears traumatic news will often swoon or faint. This is the mind's way of protecting itself from pain by stepping through the first door.
Second is the door of forgetting. Some wounds are too deep to heal, or too deep to heal quickly. In addition, many memories are simply painful, and there is no healing to be done. The saying 'time heals all wounds' is false. Time heals most wounds. The rest are hidden behind this door.
Third is the door of madness. There are times when the mind is dealt such a blow it hides itself in insanity. While this may not seem beneficial, it is. There are times when reality is nothing but pain, and to escape that pain the mind must leave reality behind.
Last is the door of death. The final resort. Nothing can hurt us after we are dead, or so we have been told.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind
A very moving and succinct passage.
ReplyDeleteAs for the love of reading childern's books, have you seen the book JUST GO THE F**K TO SLEEP? You can read it on Amazon , it is hilarious. There is another version for kids called SERIOUSLY, JUST GO TO SLEEP. Good fun.
Love that book, want my own copy, it is hilarious!
DeleteMom, this is awesome, and also one of my favorite passages in either of Rothfuss' books. Rothfuss has a way of seeming to speak directly to the reader. I sometimes feel like reading his stuff is more of a conversation, not so much just reading. I feel like I would know Kvothe's voice if I heard it. Like someone I had been talking to my entire life. Reading this has got me wanting to start them up again, I've only read them twice and once more couldn't hurt before long awaited DAY3 comes out. Trying to hold off till early next year. About to finish up Dance with Dragons, bout a hundred pages left, then may start that American Gods if you've finished it and have a good rec of it.
ReplyDeleteChris, I am re-reading Rothfuss now, I am worried that Doors of Stone won't be released next year, it may take longer like it did for book 2, I am dying to know the rest of Kvothe's story. I enjoyed American Gods, it was a good story, but slow at times.
Delete