A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; he must know how to disengage what is essential from the detail in which it is enwrapped, for everything cannot be equally considered; in a word, he must be able to simplify his duties, his business and his life.


Amiel's Journal: The Journal Intime of Henri-Frédéric Amiel; Tr., with an Introduction and Notes (ed. 1893)

Henri-Frédéric Amiel Quotes

A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; he must know how to disengage what is essential from the detail in which it is...

A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; he must know how to disengage what is essential from the detail in which it is...

A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; he must know how to disengage what is essential from the detail in which it is...

A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; he must know how to disengage what is essential from the detail in which it is...