A Commonplace Book

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A human being, appearances to the contrary, doesn't create his own purposes. These are imposed by the time he's born into; he may serve them, he may rebel against them, but the object of his service or rebellion comes from the outside. To experience complete freedom in seeking his purposes he would have to be alone, and that's impossible, since a person who isn't brought up among people cannot become a person.
-- Stanisław Lem. Solaris (1961), [Chapter 14] "The Old Mimoid." Translation from Polish by Bill Johnston (2017) Pro Auctore Wojciech Zemek.
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