Witold Gombrowicz
Witold Gombrowicz (1904-1969) was a Polish writer. Banned, unbanned, celebrated. Anti-nationalist. Bisexual. Etc. You can read more about him or by him, if you like.
I thought, his quotes fit well to the topic of diversity. Especially, because I like his view that we are formed by the world that surrounds us. And yet, we have to be somebody else, different from what others think of us. What others happily made out of us.
It’s all a constant contradiction. Depending where I am and who is looking at me, I am a wise man, I am an idiot, a coward, a hero, a funny guy, a serious man, a boring one or an inspiring soul.
I hope that his statements will inspire you to think about diversity, about yourself also in context of your job, your organization, the latest projects or how you see the others. I recommend to read the statements one by one and try to refer to your situations in the last days, weeks or months. And find some inspiring thoughts, ideas inside of you for tomorrow.
I am alone and that’s why I am more.
I am a collection of the family’s body parts.
Man is profoundly dependent on the reflection of himself in another man’s soul, be it even the soul of an idiot.
Don’t be fooled by your own wisdom.
Diary of an egoist:
Monday: Me
Tuesday: Me
Wednesday: Me
Thursday: Me
Spirit is born of the imitation of spirit and a writer must pretend to be a writer in order finally to become a writer.
Any artist who respects himself ought to be, and in every sense of the term, an émigré.
The second hand me
I am what others see.
Or not?
The shallow way of addressing diversity is drawing red lines and celebrating words that divide the good from the bad. The dualistic view on the world is tempting, yet, it provides a simple map of a territory that doesn’t exist. Limiting humans to one dimension is rather dumb.
Each of us, being black, white, man, woman, disabled, gay, young, old, etc. each of us has many dimensions. I am smart, I am stupid, I am proud, I am ashamed, I am curios, I am lazy, I am loving, I am hating, I am sorry, I am weak, and I am strong.
When I accept that I am many, I will accept all others with all their dimensions. And I will not take mental short cuts by dividing the world in two simple categories of good and bad. Accepting my own diversity …
DIVERSITY – IF YOU DON’T DO IT, NOBODY WILL.
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