The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.
This quote is widely attributed to the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, but I cannot find the source. Where did he say or write this?
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Sign up to join this communityThe purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.
This quote is widely attributed to the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, but I cannot find the source. Where did he say or write this?
It seems to be from the poem "Der Schauende", variously translated into English as "The Man Watching" or "The Beholder". The original German text of this quote is:
Die Siege laden ihn nicht ein.
Sein Wachstum ist: der Tiefbesiegte
von immer Größerem zu sein.
It's been translated into English in a number of ways, including:
Winning does not tempt that man.
This is how he grows: by being defeated, decisively,
by constantly greater beings.
Winning does not tempt that man.
His growth is this: to be defeated
by ever greater forces.
His growth is: to be the deeply defeated
by ever greater things.