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He who sees too much ends up not fitting anywhere.

Anonymous modern saying

Philosophy

The story behind the card

No author is known for this line, but the idea is old. In Plato's Republic, written around 375 BC, a prisoner who has only seen shadows on a cave wall is freed and sees the sunlit world; back in the cave, the others laugh and say the journey has ruined his eyes. In Greek myth the Trojan princess Cassandra could see the future but was cursed never to be believed; her own people thought her mad. The Bible's Ecclesiastes puts it most briefly: “he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.”

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Yazarı bilinmeyen çağdaş söz

Bu sözün yazarı bilinmiyor, ama dile getirdiği düşünce çok eski. Platon'un MÖ 375 dolaylarında yazdığı Devlet'te, hayatı boyunca mağara duvarındaki gölgelerden başka bir şey görmemiş bir tutsak serbest bırakılır ve güneşin aydınlattığı dünyayı görür. Mağaraya döndüğünde öbürleri ona güler, yolculuğun gözlerini bozduğunu söyler. Yunan mitolojisinde Truva prensesi Kassandra geleceği görebiliyordu, ama kimse ona inanmasın diye lanetlenmişti; kendi halkı bile onu deli sanıyordu. Eski Ahit'teki Vaiz kitabı aynı düşünceyi en kısa biçimde söyler: “Bilgisini artıran, kederini de artırır.”

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Cassandra
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