Five Famous Quotes by Pío Baroja
Pío Baroja was a Spanish writer of the Generation of ’98. He wrote several novels and traveled extensively throughout Spain. The audacity and wisdom of his works make it enjoyable to review and get to know some of Pío Baroja’s phrases.
However, before going into Pío Baroja’s phrases, it’s important to point out that this author was a doctor. He abandoned his profession, however, as he made the decision to devote his time exclusively to literature. He certainly left behind some wonderful books such as El árbol de la Ciencia (In English: The Tree of Science).
“It’s better to go to prison for life rather than denounce someone.”
-Pio Baroja-
Five quotes by Pío Baroja
1. Feeling lost
“People feel the anguish, the despair of not knowing what to do with their lives, of not having a plan, and of feeling lost.”
The first phrase by Pío Baroja refers to that common feeling of hopelessness during certain moments of life that lead to despair. Those things you wonder, such as “Who am I?” or “Where am I going?”
It’s important to consult a professional when such feelings overcome you. This is because they may be a symptom of a mood disorder, according to an article published by Universidad Autonoma de Mexico. In any case, you must work on this to keep it from harming you.
2. The world is the reflection of ideas
“As Schopenhauer once said, the world is a mere representation to us; it isn’t an absolute reality, but a reflection of essential ideas.”
How many times have you tenaciously defended how you perceive reality? This isn’t the true reality, as per this sentence by Pío Baroja. In fact, the world is full of ideas, because every person has a different perspective of what surrounds them.
It’s enriching to be able to put yourself in other people’s shoes. Understanding them and where they’re coming from, plus listening to them, are all great ways to broaden your own views of the world instead of being obsessed with defending your own perspective.
3. Don’t believe in the word impossible
“Don’t use the word “impossible” if you want to accomplish something in life. There’s nothing an exuberant will can’t do.”
People often complain because new job opportunities don’t come their way or because they experience one set of misfortunes after another, the same they believe are due to bad luck. However, the impossible is just a state of mind, as Pío Baroja rightly points out.
Unexpected opportunities will come your way if you get up energized and with a definite plan of what you want to do every morning. Mainly, your situation won’t change as long as you believe there’s such a thing as “impossible”.
4. The sympathy of the successful
“Those who succeed are always likeable.”
The fourth Pío Baroja phrase refers to the well-being and happiness that follow success. This is because achieving goals is a reason to feel happy, no doubt. The only thing this phrase lacks is the fundamental concept of stepping out of your comfort zone.
This is because, regardless of how safe you feel in that zone, sooner or later, you’ll realize that you’re stuck and not making any progress. This is because there are no opportunities for winning in the comfort zone. As you can see, those who achieve success are more popular. People tend to gravitate towards those who dare to go beyond their limits.
5. Pío Baroja on when people get old
“People enjoy rereading more than reading as they get older.”
The fifth Pío Baroja phrase selected for this article is about the passing of time. Anyone can visualize those older folks who like to remember the past, reread old diaries, and repeat their old stories a thousand times.
The author was trying to get people to reflect on that moment in life when they’ve been around for so long they begin to reread the past. This is because there’s so much to remember and share in the present. You’ll soon find out how everyone experiences this as we grow older.
Had you ever heard about Pío Baroja? Have you read anything about him? Hopefully, these quotes will help you reflect and give you a hint about the way in which he perceived the world. You must read some of his books if you haven’t already done so. Have you read one already? Which one?
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- García, D. C. (2009). El debate modernismo-Generación del 98. Revista Reflexiones, 88(2).
- Peset, José Luis. (2007). Pío Baroja, ese pequeño buscador de almas. Revista de la Asociación Española de Neuropsiquiatría, 27(1), 161-167. Recuperado en 10 de mayo de 2019, de http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0211-57352007000100014&lng=es&tlng=es.
- San Juan, José Bernardo. (2015). Sobre la identidad de “Pío Quinto”, un supuesto seudónimo barojiano. Estudios filológicos, (56), 133-145. https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0071-17132015000200008
