“It is said that we become part of everything we loved too much.”
— Ibrahim al-Koni · 1948 –Source: al‑Waram (The Tumor), 2008 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The idea is reliably attributable to Ibrahim al‑Koni and is found in passages of al‑Waram.
- What remains uncertain
- The circulating wording is likely an abridged or modernized rendering of the novel's passages; the exact printed punctuation of that wording is not independently established.
Understanding the quote
This line warns that loving something beyond measure erodes personal autonomy: the lover is gradually absorbed into the loved object. The idea appears in Ibrahim al‑Koni's novel al‑Waram (The Tumor, 2008), where excessive attachment is treated as an allegory of destructive possession.
In the original · Arabic
يقال إننا نصير جزءًا من كل شيء أحببناه أكثر مما ينبغي.
The story behind it
The German publisher retitled the book Herrscherkleid; al‑Koni said he preferred the original title, al‑Waram (The Tumor).
Going further
- The era
- In 2008, when al‑Waram was first published, the line appears as part of a modern allegory about power and desire.
- The thinking
- Al‑Koni's fiction draws on Sufi-influenced desert metaphysics: in practice it counsels restraint and balance so desire does not consume the self.
- Key word
- Excessive attachment: losing oneself when desire or possession grows beyond proper bounds.
- Who quoted it
- The sentence is often cited on quotation sites and in commentary about leaders or institutions that become controlled by their own thirst for power.
Three challenges to live it
In the app, you pick the one that fits your day, and in the evening you say how it went.
Write for 12 minutes about a person, passion, or thing you loved too much; describe how parts of you were absorbed by it.
Putting the experience into words reveals where attachment overshadowed your identity. That distance restores the self‑awareness Ibrahim al‑Koni warns about.
Take a 10‑minute pause: sit, follow your breath, and notice any images or feelings connected to what you love without judging them.
Mindful observation separates your experience from the object of attachment. That clarity prevents being absorbed, echoing Ibrahim al‑Koni's warning.
Make a quick visual metaphor (sketch, collage, or photo) showing what absorbed you and what remains of you — finish in 20 minutes.
Turning the allegory into an image externalizes destructive attachment. Creativity reveals how much was consumed and helps reclaim autonomy, as in Ibrahim al‑Koni's line.
How has an intense attachment ever reshaped who you are?
Report an error
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