Eugen Herrigel Quotes

To teach a man how he may learn to grow independently, and for himself, is perhaps the greatest service that one man can do another.

The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence. He inspires self-distrust. He guides their eyes from himself to the spirit that quickens him. He will have no disciple.

We are often raised as dependents then given over to teachers. It's experience and exploration that can transform us and lead to mastery.

I don't have a role model.

To me, the avocation of a teacher has something elevating and exciting. While surrounded by the young, one may always be doing good.

A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though, awakens your own expectations.

All it takes is one teacher - just one - to save us from ourselves and make us forget all the others.

My current mantra is that sometimes we need teachers in our lives. I never had that in my life, parents and stuff like that; I tried to stay on the outside of them or anybody that had that kind of influence.

The truth is we're all searching. We're all looking for guidance, for mentors, and I'm by no means someone to follow.

True teachers use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own.

My father is good with advice, as you might guess. But he keeps it short, and the takeaway is usually the same: to help us find our own way and our own gifts.

I'm not a person of mentors.

For eager teachers seized my youth, pruned my faith and trimmed my fire. Showed me the high, white star of truth, there bade me gaze and there aspire.

Were I to solve problems for others they would remain stagnant; they would never grow. It would be a great injustice to them. My approach is to help with cause rather than effect. When I help others, it is by instilling within them the inspiration to work out problems by themselves. If you feed a man a meal, you only feed him for a day-but if you teach a man to grow food, you feed him for a lifetime.

There is no Yoda-there's no one who points you in the right direction. You've got to figure that out by yourself.

I think eventually I want to become a teacher, like my father wanted to be, and hopefully positively influence the next generation.

So it is necessary that we should learn to be alone.

No matter how close to yours another's steps have grown, in the end there is one dance you'll do alone.

I don't think that I could ever be a strict dad. I never grew up with anybody strict in my life... I'm not saying I'm a role model by any means or anything. I think the fact that I wasn't told what not to do all the time - my spirit kind of told me things that I shouldn't - I got to develop on my own. It's part of your common sense.

Learn the duty as well as taste the pleasure of original work.

There are many teachers who could ruin you. Before you know it you could be a pale copy of this teacher or that teacher. You have to evolve on your own.

People tell you the world looks a certain way. Parents tell you how to think. Schools tell you how to think. TV. Religion. And then at a certain point, if you're lucky, you realize you can make up your own mind. Nobody sets the rules but you. You can design your own life.

But I don't really see myself as a role model. I'm not a dictator, or someone who wants to be adored!

As a student I learned from wonderful teachers and ever since then I've thought everyone is a teacher.

Teachers have a chance to mold someone, inspire them. I hope all teachers realize that.