Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man. Zhuangzi
About This Quote

Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man.

This quote is about the difficulty of knowing who you are; it poses the question of what is reality and what is fantasy. There are many possible interpretations for this quote. It could mean that even though we may feel like we’re actually something else (like an animal or vegetable) or even though we think we’re awake when we’re asleep (like dreaming), it’s impossible to know exactly who we are because we’re constantly changing every second of every day.

Source: The Butterfly As Companion: Meditations On The First Three Chapters Of The Chuangtzu

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