Reflection: Considerations of Paulo Coelho's Philosophy

If one actually knew me in person, they would believe that I am a social person that is grounded in reality. Possibly too much so. The notion does not escape me that I find myself a stranger in a common land; among my own people, yet nothing could be further from the truth.

The counter balance to my ground in reality is the contemplation of certain philosophical aspects to life. Paulo Coelho, a Brazilian author, has had my attention since the day that I read his book, The Alchemist. Some call Coelho pretentious; I say that I really do not mind what personality he may have. The most important aspect to his relationship with humanity is what he writes. Nonetheless, I am getting a little off track here.

At times, I have this overwhelming urge to travel, to see more and experience those things in the world that have yet to be seen by my eyes... I have been all over the gorgeous countryside of Germany. North to Bremen, Halle and Leipzig and as far south as the Schwarzwald (The Black Forest). Rome was also beautiful, yet interestingly enough ironic for an ancient city to try to live up to contemporary times. It was amazing to walk through the streets of Rome, wondering how many great people walked these same little streets for thousands of years before me. The Vatican was also a sight to be seen. Prior to my trip in 2006, I contacted the Vatican Oficio Scavi office so that I may see what remains of the times of St. Peter. I was able to gain access to the underground crypt being led by a woman who had a strong Irish accent. There were about 8 of us, I presumed that most of us were Americans, and were basically told that we needed to remain quiet and allow the guide to show us around. We witnessed some of the earliest depictions of Christ where early Christians built their mausoleum around what was thought to be the burial site of St. Peter. We eventually got to the site, after laughing at how humorous the early Romans were for writing endearing jokes on tombstones about that person with whom laid beneath. What I saw was not all that grand in its totality, but knew that I was seeing firsthand one of the most important things I will ever see in my life. The actual tomb of St. Peter, encased by marble slabs installed by Emperor Constantine. The guide gave us the story and shortly after entered a very small golden chapel almost right outside of the tomb. I was still in a state of shock from what I have just seen.

How the philosophy of Paulo Coelho impacts me is my ability to set aside my Christian beliefs and know that many of his quotes are the moral stepping stones of being closer to my faith: being closer to being the person that I would like to be for all the right reasons. Consider a few of his quotes:

-Dreams are the language of God.

-At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie.

-When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

-No one loses anyone, because no one owns anyone. That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it.

-Love one another, but let's not try to possess one another.

-We all prepare ourselves to slay dragons, but end up instead being devoured by the ants of the details that we never bothered to look at.

-All religions lead to the same God, and all deserve the same respect. Anyone who chooses a religion is also choosing a collective way for worshipping and sharing the mysteries. Nevertheless, that person is the only one responsible for his or her actions along the way and has no right to shift responsibility for any personal decisions on to that religion.

-I learned the most important lesson of my life: that the extraordinary is not the birthright of a chosen and privileged few, but of all people, even the humblest. That is my one certainty: we are all the manifestation of the divinity of God.

-I don't regret the painful times; I bare my scars as if they were medals. I know that freedom has a high price, as high as that of slavery; the only difference is that you pay with pleasure and a smile, even when that smile is dimmed by tears.

-The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better.

-Everything has been written by the same hand.

-How is it possible for the beauty that was there only minutes before to vanish so quickly? Life moves very fast. It rushes from heaven to hell in a matter of seconds.

-Only the following items should be considered to be grave faults: not respecting another's rights: allowing oneself to be paralyzed by fear; feeling guilty; believing that one does not deserve the good or ill that happens in one's life; being a coward. We will love our enemies, but not make alliances with them. They were placed in our path in order to test our sword, and we should, out of respect for them, struggle against them. We will choose our enemies.

-We need to forget what we think we are, so that we can really become what we are.

-Face your path with courage, don't be scared of people's criticism. And, above all, don't let yourself get paralyzed by your own criticism.


The quotes are all from Mr. Coelho in his various books. The few short sentences that he produces, he communicates a powerful message that only the reader can process and apply to their life. These words do have a sliding scale of truth to them depending on the life that you have lived. In particular, I enjoy the quotes about people being under the impression that because they are in the same place everyday or live with the same person that those people tend to be comfortable with the idea that they are now owners of another. How quickly life corrects this notion of fallacy.