Kahlil Gibran and Some of His Philosophical Quotes Explained
By: Nana Osei/Arab America Contributing Writer
Kahlil Gibran is an Arab American of many talents. Born in the Bsharri, Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate on January 6, 1883, he discovered his artistic and creative ability at a young age. Gibran was originally named Khalil but prefers to be known as Kahlil. (Notice the different placement of the letter h.) He is a magnificent visual artist, a thoughtful poet, and an eloquent writer.
Furthermore, as a philosophy major myself, what most interests me about Gibran are his philosophical quotes. Most famous for his book, The Prophet, in 1923, he writers about the philosophy of life to existentialism. His work deeply moves me, and this article delves into 7 philosophical quotes.
1. “You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts.”
The meaning behind this is that silence is important. Sometimes people speak simply to hear themselves. Other times they speak without even thinking. In an argument, the one who takes the time to think is usually the one who wins. Gibran is saying that being thoughtful about what you say is important.
2. “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.”
Gibran is saying that children are a gift of life itself. In addition, they are the future and are embodiments of life’s joy. All children are equal when it comes to life. We all are a part of life equally and should be given an equal chance to enjoy it.
3. “The timeless in you is aware of life’s timelessness. And knows that yesterday is but today’s memory and tomorrow is today’s dream.”
Time is something we all worry about because we have felt like we are running out of it for the things that we want to do in life at some point. We notice how short life can be – and although some people would say that this quote is depressing, I see it as inspirational.
4. “And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”
This is one of Gibran’s most inspirational philosophical quotes where he tells you to explore the world and experience its beauty. He is telling us to enjoy the world for the simplest things in life and is saying to enjoy the world for what it is and to be content.
5. “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
Gibran is saying that you can only truly give when you give from your heart. He is saying that giving a piece of your effort or love from someone means more than simply giving away your worldly possessions. You need to participate in doing charity and volunteering to truly give.
6. “To belittle, you have to be little.”
This is one of Gibran’s shortest philosophical quotes, but one of his most profound. He is saying that only those that are insecure and don’t see themselves as having worth choose to make others feel little to make themselves feel better.
7. “When you part from your friend, you grieve not; For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.”
This is a philosophical quote that allows us to look further into our relationships with others. There is a saying that “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” and Gibran puts this into words eloquently. He is saying that we shouldn’t be sad when we take time away from our loved ones because it allows us to appreciate them more.
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