There is a kind of perfection that can only be perceived through unlimited accumulation of shortages.
Haruki Murakami Kafka on the Shore
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In Haruki Murakami's "Kafka on the Shore," the author presents a thought-provoking idea reflecting on the nature of perfection. He suggests that true perfection is not easily recognized; rather, it emerges from the continuous experience and understanding of various deficiencies or shortages in life. This perspective challenges the conventional notion of perfection as an absolute state, proposing instead that it is a deeper realization shaped by our encounters with imperfection.

Murakami's quote emphasizes that through the accumulation of shortcomings and the struggles we face, we can develop a richer appreciation for what perfection could mean. It implies that life’s challenges and the gaps we navigate influence our perception, allowing us to grasp the essence of perfection only after we have been exposed to its absence. This exploration encourages readers to embrace life's imperfections as integral to their journey toward understanding themselves and their aspirations.

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Kafka on the Shore
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Haruki Murakami
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February 26, 2025
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Other quotes in Kafka on the Shore

The Earth slowly keeps on turning. But beyond any of those details of the real, there are dreams. And everyone's living in them.
Haruki Murakami Kafka on the Shore
The Earth slowly keeps on turning. But beyond any of those details of the real, there are dreams. And everyone's living in them.
* Everyone who loves is in search of its lost parts of himself. That is why the lover is sad when he thinks about his lover, as you come to a room in which you lived in memories dear to you, and a mother that you see for a long time. It is just a natural feeling.
Haruki Murakami Kafka on the Shore
* Everyone who loves is in search of its lost parts of himself. That is why the lover is sad when he thinks about his lover, as you come to a room in which you lived in memories dear to you, and a mother that you see for a long time. It is just a natural feeling.
That backpack's like your symbol of freedom, he comments.Guess so, I say.Having an object that symbolizes freedom might make a person happier than actually getting the freedom it represents.Sometimes, I say.Sometimes, he repeats. You know, if they had a contest for the world's shortest replies, you'd win hands down.Perhaps.Perhaps, Oshima says, as if fed up. Perhaps most people in the world aren't trying to be free, Kafka. They just think they are. It's all an illusion. If they really were set free, most people would be in a real bind. You'd better remember that. People actually prefer not being free.
Haruki Murakami Kafka on the Shore
That backpack's like your symbol of freedom, he comments.Guess so, I say.Having an object that symbolizes freedom might make a person happier than actually getting the freedom it represents.Sometimes, I say.Sometimes, he repeats. You know, if they had a contest for the world's shortest replies, you'd win hands down.Perhaps.Perhaps, Oshima says, as if fed up. Perhaps most people in the world aren't trying to be free, Kafka. They just think they are. It's all an illusion. If they really were set free, most people would be in a real bind. You'd better remember that. People actually prefer not being free.
Whatever you are looking for will not arrive in the way you expect it
Haruki Murakami Kafka on the Shore
Whatever you are looking for will not arrive in the way you expect it
We all die and disappear, but that's because the mechanism of the world itself is built on destruction and loss.
Haruki Murakami Kafka on the Shore
We all die and disappear, but that's because the mechanism of the world itself is built on destruction and loss.
In a world of time, nothing can go back to the way it was.
Haruki Murakami Kafka on the Shore
In a world of time, nothing can go back to the way it was.
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{...} what I wish for Chizalum is the following: that she is full of opinions, and that her opinions stem from a well-informed, humane, and open mind. That she have health and happiness. That she have the life she wants to have.
«In memory of the countless men and women of all creeds, nations, and races who fell victim to the fascist and communist belief in the Inexorable Laws of Historical Destiny.»
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"That's a huge gamble." "We're long past the time for careful certainty."
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"That's a huge gamble." "We're long past the time for careful certainty."
When had it become so ingrained in her to apologize whenever she wanted something for herself?
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Relationships and marriages are hard enough, but you add war into the mix and small fissures become gaping wounds. No one sees what you're seeing - again that clear-eyed, unbiased thing - except your fellow soldiers. It's like one of those movies where only the hero can see the ghosts and everyone else thinks the hero is crazy.
Harlan Coben Fool Me Once
Relationships and marriages are hard enough, but you add war into the mix and small fissures become gaping wounds. No one sees what you're seeing - again that clear-eyed, unbiased thing - except your fellow soldiers. It's like one of those movies where only the hero can see the ghosts and everyone else thinks the hero is crazy.
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