[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fgh5O19d-I4tb1j5T56YM2kbj4W6kybYlpjBYw4Gm1mw":3,"$f3fuaUGSOOFhn7raELvT2eufLiFmjWxDiGkjbL_hTCFE":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},3428,"W.N.P. Barbellion","W",18,null,"wnp-barbellion",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":108},[14,22,29,35,41,47,53,65,75,96],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},3500633,"Civilisation and top hats bore me.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":28},3500627,"The porter spends his days in the Library keeping strict vigil over this catacomb of books, passing along between the shelves and yet never paying heed to the almost audible susurrus of desire- the desire every book has to be taken down and read, to live, to come into being in somebody’s mind. He even hands the volumes over the counter, seeks them out in their proper places or returns them there without once realising that a Book is a Person and not a Thing.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\n\nThis poignant passage is from the journal of W.N.P. Barbellion, an English diarist and scholar who lived a life marred by illness and intellectual pursuits. Written during his struggles with syphilis in the early 20th century, this quote reflects his deep contemplation on mortality, identity, and the human connection to knowledge. In these lines, Barbellion reveals his profound insight into the nature of books as vessels of human experience.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nThe counter-intuitive truth revealed here is that Barbellion sees a book not merely as an inanimate object but as a person waiting to be understood and \"brought to life.\" This perspective highlights the tension between the passive, physical existence of a book on a shelf and its potential for dynamic engagement with a reader. By acknowledging the book's desire for interaction, he underscores the importance of reciprocity in human relationships – whether with written words or living beings.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nWhen approaching your own creative projects or professional endeavors, adopt Barbellion's mindset by recognizing that every \"book\" (or project) you engage with is a person waiting to be understood and brought to life. Approach each task as an opportunity for mutual exchange, where both the creator and the created can grow and find meaning in their connection.",{"id":30,"quote_text":31,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":32,"source":33,"quote_tag":34,"commentary":9},3500612,"My confessions are shameless. I confess, but do not repent. The fact is, my confessions are prompted, not by ethical motives, butintellectual. The confessions are to me the interesting records of a self-investigator.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":36,"quote_text":37,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":38,"source":39,"quote_tag":40,"commentary":9},3500602,"I can remember wondering as a child if I were a young Macaulay or Ruskin and secretly deciding that I was. My infant mind even was bitter with those who insisted on regarding me as a normal child and not as a prodigy.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":42,"quote_text":43,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":44,"source":45,"quote_tag":46,"commentary":9},3500591,"As soon as we are born, if we could but get up, bath, dress, shave, breakfast once for all, if we could ‘cut’ these monotonous cycles of routine. If the sun rose it would stay up, or once we were alive we were immortal!",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":48,"quote_text":49,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":50,"source":51,"quote_tag":52,"commentary":9},3500582,"From the drawing-room window I see pass almost daily an old gentleman with white hair, a firm step, broad shoulders, healthy pink skin, a sunny smile – always singing to himself as he goes – a happy, rosy-cheeked old fellow, with a rosy-cheeked mind I should like to throw mud at him.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":54,"quote_text":55,"author_id":5,"source_id":56,"has_image":18,"author":57,"source":58,"quote_tag":59,"commentary":9},823449,"Me gusta pensar que en otro tiempo fui un magnífico ejemplar peludo que vivía en los árboles y que mi cuerpo procede, a lo largo de un tiempo geológico, de la medusa, los gusanos y anfioxos, peces, dinosaurios y monos. ¿Quién querría cambiar eso por la pálida pareja del Jardín del Edén?",2,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[60],{"id":61,"tag":62},3768164,{"id":63,"tag_name":64},90440,"naturaleza",{"id":66,"quote_text":67,"author_id":5,"source_id":56,"has_image":18,"author":68,"source":69,"quote_tag":70,"commentary":74},823448,"Aunque sea una gran hazaña añadir algo, aunque sólo sea una pizca, a la suma del conocimiento humano, más grande todavía es añadir un pensamiento. Para un hombre, es mejor intentar ser a la vez poeta y naturalista que ser demasiado naturalista y pasar por alto la belleza de las cosas, o demasiado poeta y no entenderlas o no poder ver siquiera las bellezas escondidas que sólo se revelan tras una observación atenta.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[71],{"id":72,"tag":73},3768162,{"id":63,"tag_name":64},"**The Backstory**\nThis poignant quote is attributed to Ramón Gómez de la Serna, a Spanish writer and poet from the early 20th century. Born in 1888, he was a key figure in the Ultraist movement, which sought to break away from traditional literary forms. As a man of letters, Gómez de la Serna's work often reflected his deep connection with nature and his desire to capture its essence through art.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nOn the surface, this quote celebrates the importance of adding one's own thoughts to the collective knowledge of humanity. However, the true depth lies in its subtle critique of specialization and the compartmentalization of human experience. Gómez de la Serna argues that attempting to be both a poet (an artist) and a naturalist (a scientist) is a more valuable pursuit than becoming overly specialized in either field.\n\n**How to Use This**\nIn today's world, where professionals are often siloed into specific disciplines, this quote encourages us to adopt a hybrid approach. By embracing multiple perspectives and fostering interdisciplinary connections, we can uncover novel insights and create innovative solutions that integrate both art and science.",{"id":76,"quote_text":77,"author_id":5,"source_id":56,"has_image":18,"author":78,"source":79,"quote_tag":80,"commentary":9},618085,"When the sun grew too hot we went into the wood where waves of Bluebells dashed around the foot of the Oak in front of us... I never knew before, the delight of offering oneself up; I even longed for some self sacrifice, to have to give up something for her sake. It intoxicated me to think I was making another happy...",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[81,86,91],{"id":82,"tag":83},3223504,{"id":84,"tag_name":85},25,"love",{"id":87,"tag":88},3223506,{"id":89,"tag_name":90},101,"relationships",{"id":92,"tag":93},3223505,{"id":94,"tag_name":95},4735,"memoir",{"id":97,"quote_text":98,"author_id":5,"source_id":56,"has_image":18,"author":99,"source":100,"quote_tag":101,"commentary":107},507845,"The porter spends his days in the Library keeping strict vigil over this catacomb of books, passing along between the shelves and yet never paying heed to the almost audible susurrus of desire- the desire every book has to be taken down and read, to live, to come into being in somebody's mind. He even hands the volumes over the counter, seeks them out in their proper places or returns them there without once realising that a Book is a Person and not a Thing.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[102],{"id":103,"tag":104},2823716,{"id":105,"tag_name":106},2232,"library","**The Backstory**\n\nThis poignant passage is likely from the diaries of W.N.P. Barbellion, specifically from his book \"Journal of a Disappointed Man\" (1919). At that time, Barbellion was struggling with the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and grappling with the meaning of existence amidst his own mortality.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nThe counter-intuitive truth here is that the author is not just lamenting the porter's ignorance but also subtly critiquing our societal tendency to devalue human experience in favor of abstract concepts. Barbellion reveals how even the most mundane tasks can conceal a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all things, if only we acknowledge the inherent value of each individual entity – whether book or person.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nTo apply this mindset today, modern professionals and creatives should strive to approach their work with empathy and recognition of the intrinsic worth of every individual or task. By acknowledging that \"a Book is a Person,\" they can cultivate a sense of reverence for the work itself, rather than merely treating it as a utilitarian exercise, thereby unlocking new depths of creativity and fulfillment in their endeavors.",{"currentPage":109,"totalPages":56,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":110},1,10]