the last dance, you dance alone

~ Live & Learn

“If things can be seen that differently, how many ways can they be seen differently? …

You have to take seriously the notion that understanding the universe is your responsibility, because the only understanding of the universe that will be useful to you is your own understanding. It doesn’t do you any good to know that somewhere in some computer there are equations that perfectly model or perfectly don’t model something that is going on. We have all tended to give ourselves away to official ideologies and to say, ‘Well I may not understand, but someone understands.’

The fact of the matter is that only your own understanding is any good to you. Because it’s you that you’re going to live with and it’s you that you’re going to die with. As the song says, the last dance, you dance alone.”

~ Terence McKenna, True Hallucinations and the Archaic Revival

Notes: Quote, Thank you Beth @ Alive on All Channels. Photo: Imgur (via Runawaydevill)

31 thoughts on “the last dance, you dance alone”

    3. Our individuality is all, all, that we have. There are those who barter it for security, those who repress it for what they believe is the betterment of the whole society, but blessed in the twinkle of the morning star is the one who nurtures it and rides it in, in grace and love and wit, from peculiar station to peculiar station along life’s bittersweet route.

      – Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume: A Novel ( Bantam; June 17, 2003)

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  5. I understand that in his understanding we understand what we understand…. Sheesh.

    However, yes, no one can put themselves into your understanding of what you have learnt and in the end, we do dance alone, don’t we?

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  7. You take a lot of input from Alice…. I do like the pairing (though)! And I’ve no opinion on the wisdom or not of this post. Which must be SUCH a relief to you with already such a plethora of opinions…. 😉

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  8. I’m so glad we all think and feel differently! Because your perspective, your experience, your understanding, opens up mine and together we can truly support one another in this dance alone! 💃🏼🕺🏼👯‍♀️

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    1. I don’t know how we all found each other on Dave’s blog but I know for sure that it’s a great bunch of great people with so many different facets and views – and it’s an enriching experience for all of us – so let’s do our dancing….

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