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Anthony Draper's avatar

Precisely! This reminds me of my own Benjamin-inspired reflection on my library: https://open.substack.com/pub/areasonabledoubt/p/what-i-love-about-my-library?r=4zwti&utm_medium=ios

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Catatonic Free Speech's avatar

Just when I was feeling guilty about installing a new bookshelf upon which sits my collection of half- and unread-books, Julian comes through with some comforting wisdom. I feel preserved!

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Bettina Kreissl Lonfat's avatar

Valid and beautifully made points.

Yet to discover new books, we need to share with more thought and precision where our inspiration comes from with others.

Where does the Benjamin quote come from? Where in Eco’s huge journal collection does he share this?

Without references the above is an esoteric insight that appears so erudite and aphorismic in tone… and does everything to keep the experience to one’s self and nothing to allow a reader’s personal quest for knowledge and more… books.

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s f v's avatar

I kind of like the mystery behind what he’s saying. Without a definitive reason, it gives us room to explore our own respective intentions in seeking out knowledge.

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Bettina Kreissl Lonfat's avatar

I appreciate your idea of exploring knowledge if it were in different circumstances.

Here is an influential creator that uses quick snippets of made-up quotes that are like fast food: it creates a nice taste on the tongue of our consciousness. And it stops there.

Knowledge, a supple mind, a creative soul is like a muscle or a taste for nourishing food: it needs to be cultivated. If philosophers cannot master their sources and start leading us back to the taste and love for knowledge, if they themselves are no longer taught how to quote and reference, then the act of quoting, just like the act of collecting books without reading them (even in part or in short) becomes what the elders have called "l'art pour l'art" (Art for art's sake)... an empty gesture and thus we become what Eco despised above all: a collector, a pedant with little respect for WHAT is written, its context and measure.

So, let us share our notes and sources, let's show the paths that led us here, and let others walk behind us on the same paths and come to such different conclusions that we dare find community in contrasting minds and discussions.

Blessings to you.

The Sources for this tiktok are found here where I showed precisely why they are important:

https://substack.com/profile/80839709-bettina-kreissl-lonfat/note/c-85985072

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seren riggs-davis's avatar

wow this was such a neat take now I don’t feel guilty for all my unread books 🙈 ty for sharing!!

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shoymagic's avatar

Beautiful!

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s f v's avatar

This was a great read!

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